On Sun, 9 Apr 2000, Jeff Ricker went:
> I just don't have time today to go rooting around trying to sniff up
> information about this topic. Is anyone familiar with the research on
> Jacobson's organ?
Well, I've got some of the original papers (abstracts below) on the
putative pheromones that may activate it in humans.
The name to know is David L. Berliner, a former professor of anatomy
at the University of Utah. Berliner's interest in human pheromones
started serendipitously in the 1950s, when studied steroidal extracts
from human skin: he happened to notice that when he worked with
certain extracts, he felt more calm. (This is from a _New York Times_
article published approximately four years ago; forgive me, for I've
lost the cite.)
I've always wondered why Berliner's more recent work with Luis
Monti-Bloch (see the abstracts below) hasn't garnered more attention
from scientists. Perhaps he lost some credibility when he founded the
Pherin Corporation (to develop pheromone-based remedies for PMS and
anxiety disorders, plus a pheromone-based contraceptive) and Erox
Corporation (which makes a line of perfumes called Realm).
Cheesy as all that may be, I don't see anything dramatically shoddy in
the research described below, which appears to show that: 1) humans
have an organ that responds to airborne steroids that most of us can't
consciously smell, 2) its responses can induce changes in autonomic,
endocrine, and EEG function, and 3) different substances activate it
in men than in women.
--David Epstein
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Monti-Bloch L. Grosser BI.
Institution
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt
Lake City 84108.
Title
Effect of putative pheromones on the electrical activity of the human
vomeronasal organ and olfactory epithelium.
Source
Journal of Steroid Biochemistry & Molecular Biology 39(4B):573-82, 1991 Oct.
Abstract
The summated receptor potential was recorded from the vomeronasal organ
(VNO) and olfactory epithelium (OE) of 49 human subjects of both sexes (18
to 55 years old) using surface non-polarizable silver-silver chloride
electrodes. 15-25 pg of human putative pheromones, clove oil and a diluent
were administered to the VNO or the OE in 0.3-1 s pulses from a 0.05 mm
dia cannula connected to a multichannel delivery system. Local stimulation
of the VNO produces negative potentials of 1.8-11.6 mV showing adaptation.
Responses are not obtained when the recording electrode is placed in the
nasal respiratory mucosa. Pheromone ER-830 significantly stimulates the
male VNO (P less than 0.01; n = 20), while ER-670 produces a significant
effect on female subjects (P less than 0.001; n = 20). The other
pheromones tested do not show significantly different effects in both male
and female (P greater than 0.1). Similar quantities of odorant or diluent
produce an insignificant effect on the VNO. Stimulation of the OE with
clove oil produces depolarization of 12.3 +/- 3.9 mV, while pheromones do
not show a significant effect. Our results show that the VNO is a
functional organ in adult humans having receptor sites for human putative
pheromones.
Stensaas LJ. Lavker RM. Monti-Bloch L. Grosser BI. Berliner DL.
Institution
Department of Physiology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake
City.
Title
Ultrastructure of the human vomeronasal organ.
Source
Journal of Steroid Biochemistry & Molecular Biology 39(4B):553-60, 1991 Oct.
Abstract
Virtually all vertebrates have a vomeronasal system whose involvement in
pheromone detection plays a crucial role in reproduction. In humans, the
vomeronasal organ has been assumed to be vestigial or absent and without
functional significance. In the present study involving over 400 subjects,
vomeronasal pits were observed in all individuals except those with
pathological conditions affecting the septum. Electron microscopy of the
adult human vomeronasal organ indicates the presence of two potential
receptor elements in the pseudostratified epithelial lining: microvillar
cells, and unmyelinated, intraepithelial axons. In addition, unmyelinated
axons are common in the lamina propria surrounding the organ. They appear
to constitute the components essential for a functional chemosensory
system, and may thus provide the basis for a pheromone detection system as
in other animals.
Monti-Bloch L. Jennings-White C. Dolberg DS. Berliner DL.
Institution
Pherin Corporation, Menlo Park, California.
Title
The human vomeronasal system.
Source
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 19(5-7):673-86, 1994.
Abstract
We studied the functional characteristics of the vomeronasal system in
clinically normal adult subjects of both sexes (ages 20-45). Chemosensory
substances were administered in punctate pulses in a continuous air stream
from the tip of a multifunctional miniprobe, which contained a
nonpolarizable electrode. Negative potentials with the characteristics of
receptor potentials were recorded from the surface of the vomeronasal
organ (VNO) and olfactory epithelium (OE) in response to certain
substances defined here as vomeropherins (see definition in the
introduction of the main text) and to olfactants. Stimulation of the VNO
with femtomole amounts of vomeropherins produced a local depolarization
with the characteristics of a receptor potential. The same substances
produced only a small response from the OE, and no response from the nasal
respiratory mucosa. Three vomeropherins PH15, PH78, and PH84 were
particularly well recognized by the VNO of most male subjects (p < .01; n
= 30). Substances PH30, PH56, and PH94B, produced similar effects in the
VNO of most female subjects (p < .01; n = 30). Responses to virtually all
vomeropherins exhibited a sexual dimorphism. Stimulation of the OE with
the same quantity of odorants 1,8-cineole and l-carvone produced
depolarization of 6.8 +/- 2.6 mV, but little or no response in the VNO.
Therefore, the human VNO seems to have a unique specificity for certain
chemosensory substances when compared to the OE. Administration of PH15
and PH78 to the VNO of male subjects (but not to female subjects)
significantly increased electrodermal activity (p < .02) and skin
temperature (p < .01). On the other hand, administration of PH84 to the
VNO of male subjects decreased skin temperature but had little effect on
electrodermal activity. Autonomic changes were accompanied by an increased
percentage of alpha-cortical activity for all three vomeropherins. In
female subjects (but not in male subjects) vomeropherins PH56 and PH94B
significantly increased electrodermal activity (p < .01), skin temperature
(p < .01), and alpha-cortical activity (p < .01). Local application of the
olfactants 1,8-cineole and l-carvone to the VNO did not trigger autonomic
responses or significant changes in the electroencephalographic pattern in
male or in female subjects. Our studies indicate the adult human VNO is a
functional chemosensory organ with a sexually dimorphic specificity and
the ability to transduce signals which modulate certain autonomic
parameters.
Berliner DL.
Title
Steroidal substances active in the human vomeronasal organ affect
hypothalamic function [editorial].
Source
Journal of Steroid Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. 58(1):1-2, 1996 Apr.
Berliner DL. Monti-Bloch L. Jennings-White C. Diaz-Sanchez V.
Institution
Pherin Corporation, Menlo Park CA 94025, USA.
Title
The functionality of the human vomeronasal organ (VNO): evidence for
steroid receptors.
Source
Journal of Steroid Biochemistry & Molecular Biology 58(3):259-65, 1996 Jun.
Abstract
The human vomeronasal organ (VNO) is an anatomical entity which is
generally considered to be vestigial or non-functional. Nevertheless, a
steroidal vomeropherin applied to the human VNO, results in changes of
autonomic function, pulsatile release of luteinizing and
follicle-stimulating hormones, autonomic and electroencepholographic
activity. The vomeropherin pregna-4,20-diene-3,6-dione (PDD) was delivered
as pulses in an air stream directed into the lumen of the VNO or to the
surface of the olfactory epithelium and respiratory epithelium of the
nasal septum. Single stimuli at a concentration of 10(-10) to 10(-8) M
produced dose-dependent changes of the electrovomerogram. No significant
effects were observed when the same applicator delivered identical stimuli
to the nasal respiratory epithelium or to the olfactory epithelium.
Administration of the vomeropherin to male subjects changed gonadotropin
pulsatility. In males, PDD (5 x 10(9) M) decreased luteinizing hormone
(LH) pulsatility which resulted in a statistically significant reduction
of plasma LH levels (P < 0.009) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
pulsatility (P < 0.021), but it produced no significant effects in female
subjects. Prolactin (PRL) was not significantly affected by this
vomeropherin in either male or female subjects. These data demonstrate,
for the first time, the existence of a functional vomeronasal-pituitary
pathway in adult humans. In addition to the effect on gonadotropin
pulsatility, the vomeropherin also produces concurrent reflex autonomic
effects after VNO stimulation. These included decreased respiratory
frequency, increased cardiac frequency, and event-related changes of
electrodermal activity and EEG pattern. Therefore, this investigation also
provides evidence for functional connections between the VNO and a variety
of hypothalamic areas in adult humans.
Monti-Bloch L. Diaz-Sanchez V. Jennings-White C. Berliner DL.
Institution
Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City 84108, USA.
Title
Modulation of serum testosterone and autonomic function through
stimulation of the male human vomeronasal organ (VNO) with
pregna-4,20-diene-3,6-dione.
Source
Journal of Steroid Biochemistry & Molecular Biology 65(1-6):237-42, 1998 Apr.
Abstract
In mammals, external chemosensory signals from conspecifics of the
opposite sex acting on vomeronasal organ receptors can modulate the
release of gonadotropins. There is developmental, anatomical and
functional evidence showing that the human vomeronasal organ (VNO) has the
characteristics of a chemosensory organ. We have been using naturally
occurring human pheromones to serve as models for designing novel
synthetic compounds that we call vomeropherins. In previous publications
we reported that vomeropherin pregna-4,20-diene-3,6-dione (PDD) delivered
to the VNO of normal female and male human volunteers significantly
affected male subjects only, decreasing respiration and cardiac frequency,
augmenting alpha brain waves, and significantly decreasing serum
luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). Results
of the present work confirm that PDD produces a local dose-dependent
effect in the male human VNO. This is followed by a mild
parasympathomimetic effect characterized by 10% increase of vagal tone,
together with decreased frequency of electrodermal activity events.
Furthermore, PDD locally delivered to the male human VNO significantly
decreases serum LH and testosterone (p < 0.01). The present results
contribute additional evidence supporting the functionality of the human
VNO and its repercussions in autonomic and psychophysiological functions,
as well as in neuroendocrine secretions.
Monti-Bloch L. Jennings-White C. Berliner DL.
Institution
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt
Lake City 84108, USA. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Title
The human vomeronasal system. A review. [Review]
Source
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 855:373-89, 1998 Nov 30.
Abstract
Recent publications show that the human vomeronasal organ (VNO) develops
and grows during gestation, and is present in all adult humans. The human
VNO has a unique ultrastructure, with elongated bipolar microvillar cells
that stain with several immunomarkers. These cells show physiological
properties similar to chemosensory receptor cells of other mammalian
species. The adult human VNO displays species-specific, gender-dimorphic
and highly stereospecific responses to ligands. The organ's local
response, or electrovomerogram, is followed by gender-specific behavioral
changes, modulation of autonomic nervous system function, or the release
of gonadotropins from the pituitary gland. Functional brain imaging
studies revealed consistent activation of the hypothalamus, amygdala and
cingulate gyrus-related structures during adult human VNO stimulation.
These findings present new information supportive of a functional
vomeronasal system in adult humans. [References: 86]
