A reevaluation of dimethyl disulfide as a sex attractant in golden hamsters.

Dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) is present in hamster vaginal secretion and has been reported to be responsible for a sizable proportion of a male hamster's attraction to vaginal secretion. We evaluated this claim by testing two predictions that follow from its purported pheromonal role: (a) male hamsters should spend more time than females investigating DMDS; and (b) attraction to DMDS by males should be dependent on testosterone. In the first experiment, males investigated vaginal secretions more than females, but no sex difference was apparent in investigation of DMDS or a control odor. In the second experiment, gonadectomized males with testosterone implants investigated vaginal secretion more than castrates without testosterone; however, these hormone manipulations did not affect the attraction of males to DMDS or the control odor. We conclude that DMDS does not elicit sex differences in attraction and that in males the attraction to DMDS is not dependent on gonadal hormones. These results suggest that DMDS is not a sex attractant by itself nor is it a major component of an attractant mixture.