Authors : Richard M?ller , William P?rez and Rodolfo Ungerfeld
Abstract: In mammals the vomeronasal organ (VNO) plays an important role in detection and processing of pheromones related to social and reproductive behavior. To determine in which physiological functions the VNO is implied, different blocking techniques have been used. The aim of this work was to develop a simple, fast, and minimally invasive surgical technique to eliminate completely the VNO in sheep. Ten adult crossbreed sheep were anesthetized and intubated with a tracheotube. Two incisions in the nasal mucous membrane, on the floor of the nasal cavity lateral to the VNO, and in the nasal septum dorsal to the VNO were made. The VNO was eliminated through dragging movements with a Farabeuff separator shaped into a hook.. The hemorrhage was controlled in situ with ferric perclorure and cauterization with a burning cylindrical iron. Animals were slaughtered at different times after surgery, and the nose was opened to determine whether remnants of the VNO were still left. In the first slaughtered animal (one week after the surgery) remnants of the VNO were observed in a necrotic area. However, in the animals slaughtered later than 4 weeks after surgery, there were no identifiable remnants of the VNO. We concluded that this is a simple, fast and effective technique to eliminate the VNO, and may be used in experiments aimed to determine long-term effects of vomeronasalectomisation.
Richard M?ller , William P?rez and Rodolfo Ungerfeld , 2005. An Easy Technique for Sheep Vomeronasalectomisation . Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 4: 398-400.