REVIEW
Function of gonadotropin-releasing hormone in olfaction
Celeste R. Wirsig-Wiechmann
Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA(Received for publication on January 17, 2001)

Abstract. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is present within neurons of the nervus terminalis, the zeroeth cranial nerve. In all vertebrate species, except in sharks where it is a separate nerve,
the nervus terminalis consists of a chain of neurons embedded within olfactory or vomeronasal nervesin the nasal cavity. The function of the GnRH component of the nervus terminalis is thought to beneuromodulatory. Our research on GnRH effects on olfaction con®rms this hypothesis. The processesof GnRH neural cell bodies located within chemosensory nerves project centrally into the ventral
forebrain and peripherally into the lamina propria of the nasal chemosensory mucosa. GnRH receptors
are expressed by chemosensory neurons as shown by RT-PCR/Southern blotting and GnRH agonist
binding studies. Patch-clamp studies have shown that GnRH alters the responses of isolated chemosensory neurons to natural or electrophysiological stimulation through the modulation of voltage-gatedand receptor-gated channels. Behavioral experiments demonstrate that interfering with the nasal
GnRH system leads to de®cits in mating behavior. These studies suggest that the function of theintranasal GnRH system is to modify olfactory information, perhaps at reproductively auspicious times.
We speculate that the purpose of this altered olfactory sense is to make pheromones more detectable
and salient. (Keio J Med 50 (2): 81±85, June 2001)
Key words: Nervus terminalis, reproduction, chemosensory systems, neuromodulation

Chemosensory System Involvement in Reproduction

Introduction

In vertebrates, two nasal chemosensory systems, theolfactory and the vomeronasal systems, play importantroles in reproductive physiology and behavior. The
peripheral olfactory system is composed of olfactory
receptor neurons located in the olfactory epithelium.
These neurons send axons to the anterior (main) portion of the olfactory bulb. The vomeronasal system iscomposed of vomeronasal receptor neurons (housed ina separated portion of the nasal cavity) that send axons
to the posterior portion of the olfactory bulb (the accessory olfactory bulb). There has been some controversy as to whether a vomeronasal organ containing asensory epithelium exists in humans.1,2
In mammals, the olfactory system is thought to function in the perception and identi®cation of volatileodors, including volatile pheromones. The vomeronasal
system is thought to transmit chemical information, in
the form of heavier molecules such as proteins that canalso include pheromonal compounds that regulate sex-

GnRH as a coordinating system
The gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) system is critical for normal reproductive behavior andphysiology. In addition to its actions in the brain andpituitary, GnRH in¯uences a number of organ systems
such as the breast and ovary. GnRH is also present in
the nervus terminalis, a neural plexus in the chemosensory mucosa of the nasal cavity. Here it has thepotential for in¯uencing the detection of pheromones,
those species-speci®c odors involved with sexual identi®cation and arousal. Thus, the hormone GnRH
appears to be in a position to serve as a coordinating
system for the multitude of events occurring during reproduction, including changes in olfactory sensitivity topheromones.

Presented at the 1192nd Meeting of The Keio Medical Society in Tokyo, December 14, 2000.
Reprint requests to: Dr. Celeste R. Wirsig-Wiechmann, Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 SL
Young Boulevard, Oklahoma City, OK 73190, USA, e-mail: celeste-wirsig@ouhsc.edu
81

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Wirsig-Wiechmann CR: Function of GnRH in olfaction

ual development, neuroendocrine responses to pheromones, and sexual attraction and arousal.3,4 There isevidence that both of these systems may play importantroles in reproductive processes in a number of species,
including humans.5±7 The potential role of a humanvomeronasal organ (if present) in the detection ofand responses to pheromones as well as the utilizationof the olfactory system in pheromonal detection hasreceived much attention recently, and is becoming the
subject of intense scienti®c inquiry.
In humans, the olfactory system also appears to beimportant in detecting pheromones and may be become
more sensitive to pheromones at reproductively appropriate times. For example, odors are perceived differently throughout the menstrual cycle in women.5,6,8
Certain male odors are judged more pleasant by
women during ovulation9 and cause sexual arousal.10
In addition, male odors have been shown to increase
male sociosexual behavior.11 This interdependence between hormones and olfaction may involve the GnRH
system in the nasal cavity.
An understanding of the functional interactions that
occur between these nasal chemosensory systems andthe GnRH system is central to our basic understandingof the sensory control of reproduction. Neurons containing GnRH are located along the nervus terminalis
within the brain and in the nasal cavity. Those in thenasal cavity appear to be activated during reproductively appropriate times12 and could modulate chemosensory reception of pheromones and other related
odors. The signi®cance of pheromonal communicationin humans has been previously underestimated but ispresently considered an important factor in mate selection, maternal behavior, and sexual arousal. Because
GnRH levels are altered by pheromones, it is reasonable to suggest that the GnRH system provides feedback information to the chemosensory systems. Withknowledge of how this occurs we can develop potentially useful interventions for problems with infertility,
maternal bonding, and sexual arousal. With sexual
arousal problems being a very common medical complaint among men13 and woman,14 further investigation
into sensory involvement in sexual arousal is an areathat needs exploring.
The Nervus Terminalis ± the GnRH System of the
Nasal Cavity
AnatomyThe nervus terminalis is a diffusely organized GnRHcontaining ganglionated nerve associated with the nasal
chemosensory systems.15±17 It extends from structuresin the nasal cavity to brain regions that mediate chemosensory processing and reproduction. It is composed

Fig. 1 Diagram of rodent brain and vomeronasal system. The gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH)-containing neurons of thenervus terminalis (TN) are shown as cell bodies with varicose ®bers
within vomeronasal nerves (VNN) and brain. These neurons travel
along the medial surface of the olfactory bulbs (OB) before entering
the brain (brain entry indicated by the asterisk). In the periphery the®bers travel as far as the lamina propria of the mucosa in the vomeronasal organ (VNO). GnRH neurons (not shown in diagram) are also
found in the pterygopalatine ganglion (PPG) and nasopalatine nerves(NPN) that innervate the vascular supply and glands of the vomeronasal organ.31 TG, trigeminal ganglion.

of a chain of GnRH-containing neuronal cell bodies comingled with processes that extend peripherally andcentrally. These GnRH-containing neurons are generally embedded in other nerve fascicles in the nasal cavity. In rodents, the majority of intranasal GnRH processes are located in the vomeronasal nerves (Fig. 1),
whereas in other species such as the salamander the
majority of processes extend along olfactory nerve fascicles to the periphery (Fig. 2).
The nervus terminalis was discovered more than 100
years ago in sharks in which it is a separate nerve.18
Interest in the nervus terminalis showed a resurgence inthe past two decades with the discovery that some of
the its neurons contain GnRH.17 Besides being responsible for gonadotropin release from the pituitary
gland when secreted into the portal circulation, GnRH
also facilitates sexual behaviors when GnRH receptors
are stimulated in speci®c forebrain and midbrain
areas.19±21 Thus, GnRH acts as a neurohormone orneuromodulator depending on the site of release and/or
reception.
Development
Several studies have demonstrated that GnRHimmunoreactive neurons destined for the preoptic
area migrate into the brain from the olfactory placoderegion during development.22,23 In addition, GnRHcontaining nervus terminalis neurons migrate along thesame path but remain in the nasal cavity. A recent
study by Whitlock and her colleagues24 has shown that
GnRH-expressing neurons of the nervus terminalis arise
from progenitor cells of neural crest origin. Those
GnRH neurons that come to reside within the brain

Keio J Med 2001; 50 (2): 81±85

83

Evidence for paracrine secretion of GnRH into thechemosensory mucosa

Fig. 2 Diagram of ventral view of tiger salamander brain and nasal
cavities (NC). The distribution of GnRH-containing nervus terminalis(TN) neurons is represented by cell bodies and ®bers extending between the nasal cavity and preoptic area (POA). Within the nasal
cavity TN neurons are located within olfactory nerve fascicles andproject into the lamina propria of the olfactory mucosa (See Fig. 3).
ME, median eminence; OB, olfactory bulb; VNO, vomeronasal organ.

arise from more rostral neural plate regions adjacent toprogenitor cells of the anterior pituitary and migrate
into the forebrain along the path of the nervus terminalis. Some GnRH neurons of the nervus terminalis
migrate into the ventral forebrain but many remain in
the nasal cavity. Except for serving as a migratory pathfor intracerebral GnRH neurons, the exact functional
nature of the nervus terminalis neurons in the nasal
cavity and ventral forebrain has been dif®cult to ascertain. However, several investigators16,25 have hypothesized that the nervus terminalis is a functioning neuromodulatory system which can alter sensory processing
or behavior. Our patch clamp data on the effects of
GnRH on olfactory neurons26 support this hypothesis
and suggest the nervus terminalis is a very active andimportant neuromodulatory component of the nasal
chemosensory systems.
Behavioral evidence for nervus terminalis involvement inreproduction
Two studies have demonstrated that lesions of thenervus terminalis alter reproductive behavior in mammals and in ®sh. In hamsters, lesions of the nervus
terminalis produce de®cits in male mating behavior.27
In ®sh, lesions of the nervus terminalis have been shown
to produce de®cits in male nest building behavior.28
While the mechanisms for these behaviors in these two
widely separated species are undoubtedly different,
the main feature of the effect of the nervus terminalis
lesions may be to alter pheromone perception or pheromonal in¯uences on the animals' physiology.

The nervus terminalis is anatomically and developmentally associated with the chemosensory systems.17,22,23 However, there is no data to indicate ageneral sensory or chemosensory function. Anatomical29,30 and neurophysiological26 studies have suggested a neuromodulatory function of the GnRH component of the nervus terminalis in the chemosensory
mucosa.
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone-immunoreactive
nervus terminalis neurons send processes centrally toolfactory and ventral forebrain areas. They also project peripherally to a number of structures related to
the nasal cavity including olfactory and vomeronasal
mucosa, Bowman's glands, smooth muscle and autonomic ganglia in amphibians29,30 and mammals.31
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone-immunoreactive processes project to the region of the vomeronasal organ in
humans (unpublished observations). These peripheral
GnRH processes do not appear to contact speci®c cells,
rather the processes end within the lamina propria of
chemosensory mucosa. Frequently these processes haveappeared to contact Bowman's glands in the very rostral regions of the olfactory mucosa in salamanders.30
Like the GnRH processes in the median eminence, thenervus terminalis ®bers are frequently varicose, suggesting that GnRH is secreted along the length of theprocess. However, Oka and Ichikawa32 (also see Oka
and Abe33 for a review) have provided ultrastructuralevidence that GnRH may also be secreted from themembrane of the neural cell body. GnRH may thus be
acting as a paracrine hormone/modulator in the nasal
cavity.
GnRH Modulation of Chemoreception
GnRH receptors in the nasal cavity
If GnRH modulates chemoreception at the level ofthe chemoreceptive sensory neurons, it follows that
GnRH receptors should be expressed in peripheral
nasal tissue. We have previously demonstrated GnRH
agonist binding in the olfactory mucosa of tiger salamanders,34 and have also seen similar binding in
the vomeronasal mucosa of prairie voles (unpublishedobservations). In the salamander, binding was heaviest
over the region of olfactory receptor dendrites suggesting that GnRH may act at the level of sensorytransduction. In addition to the binding study, we
have demonstrated the presence of GnRH receptor
mRNA in olfactory and vomeronasal mucosal tissueof the rat using RT-PCR/Southern blotting and DNA
sequencing.35

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Wirsig-Wiechmann CR: Function of GnRH in olfaction

Electrophysiological evidence for GnRH modulation ofchemosensory systems
The presence of GnRH in nervus terminalis neurons
and the expression of the GnRH receptor in olfactory
mucosa suggest that GnRH modulates the activity ofcells related to chemoreception. In support of this hypothesis, we have shown using patch clamp recording
techniques that GnRH increases sodium conductancesin mudpuppy olfactory neurons.26 We hypothesizedthat this may make these neurons more excitable toodor stimulation. We have found in recent patch clamp
studies on mouse and rat olfactory or vomeronasal
receptor neurons that GnRH can both potentiate or
inhibit odor-induced depolarization and hyperpolarization of these neurons.35
Human experiments have demonstrated an increased
sensitivity to odorants at mid-cycle (i.e. at ovulation5,6).
This would be the time when GnRH is being released
to cause the luteinizing hormone surge. It would be ofinterest to determine whether GnRH is responsible forthese changes in chemoreception in humans.
Conclusion
The GnRH-containing neurons of the nervus terminalis have the potential to alter olfaction. The nervus
terminalis may secrete GnRH into the chemosensory
mucosa to control the detection of various odors thatare relevant to the species for reproductive purposes.
The neurons that release GnRH from the nervus terminalis show regular discharges which are produced byendogenous pacemaker potentials in GnRH neurons.36
The activity of these GnRH neurons can be modi®ed by
extrinsic factors such as GnRH from neighboring neurons.37 It is very likely that other neural inputs from
central38 or peripheral sources (e.g. trigeminal ®bers)
may also modulate the activity of these neurons (Fig.
3). We hypothesize that the neural activity of and
GnRH synthesis by the nervus terminalis GnRH neurons is altered by reproductive stimuli and hormones.
This would affect the sensitivity of primary chemosensory neurons to pheromones as well as to modulate
other areas of the brain involved with sensory detectionof reproductively relevant stimuli or behavior. In support of this hypothesis, Propper and Moore12 haveprovided evidence for alterations in GnRH activity inthe nervus terminalis during mating.
There have been several reports of neurons of central origin innervating the ganglion cells of the nervus
terminalis. In gold®sh, neurons in or near the locus
coeruleus projecting to nervus terminalis have beenreported.39,40 A recent study by Yamamoto and Ito38
in two teleost species elegantly demonstrated substantial innervation of nervus terminalis by multiple cen-Fig. 3 Hypothetical model of nervus terminalis GnRH neuron inputs
and outputs. This model illustrates our view of the control of GnRH
secretion into the chemosensory mucosa and its modulation of odor
responses by chemosensory neurons: Neural and hormonal inputs
control the amount of GnRH available in and secreted by GnRH
neurons. The level of GnRH secretion in¯uences the response of
chemosensory neurons to odor molecules that access the olfactory
cilia (the location of olfactory transduction) via the mucous layer
covering the chemosensory epithelium. Nervus terminalis GnRH
®bers are located in the lamina propria (LP) so that GnRH must diffuse into chemosensory epithelium (CE) to act on GnRH receptors
located in the membrane of chemosensory neurons. Stimulation of
GnRH receptors on chemosensory neurons activates second messenger pathways that in turn alter the odor-induced membrane potentialchanges, causing modi®ed chemosensory signals to be sent to the brain.

tral brain areas including mesencephalic tegmentum(nucleus tegmento-olfactorius) and telencephalic areas
involved in olfactory processing (e.g. olfactory bulb andarea dorsalis telencephali pars posterior).
The nervus terminalis appears to be a consistent feature of the jawed vertebrate lineage, since it does notseem to be present in lampreys41 or hag®sh.42 The
presence of the nervus terminalis in cetaceans43 thatcompletely lack a nasal chemosensory system may re¯ect an evolutionary change in nervus terminalis function. On the other hand, its presence in cetaceans may
indicate that the nervus terminalis has more than one
function in the nasal cavity or that it may modulate anumber of different brain areas. Perhaps, also it canserve as a secondary source of GnRH for endocrine
control of pituitary hormone release.
Acknowledgements: I wish to thank Drs. Heather Eisthen and Allan
Wiechmann for their helpful comments on the manuscript. The research cited here by Wirsig or Wirsig-Wiechmann was supported
largely by grants from NIH (NS27586), NSF (IBN-9896098), Presbyterian Health Foundation and the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology.

Keio J Med 2001; 50 (2): 81±8585

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