Infection with Cryptosporidium parvum Affects Secondary Sexual Characteristics of Male Mice by Altering the Pheromone Content in Preputial Gland.

ABSTRACT: The olfactory acuity of female mice allows them to discriminate the urinary odors of males. Parasitic infection can reduce the odor attractiveness of male mice to females and result in female aversion or avoidance responses in odor selection. However, the chemical signaling changes in the pheromone contents produced by the foreskin gland were not fully revealed after parasitic infection. Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum) is a common zoonotic intestinal parasite and has a wide range of hosts, including human, domestic animals, and wild animals. In this study, we immunosuppressed ICR/CD-1 male mice by dexamethasone sodium phosphate treatment. After C. parvum infection, physiological indexes such as body weight and organ weight were significantly decreased. Furthermore,

SUBMITTER: Li G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9952591 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature