Psychological state and mood effects of steroidal chemosignals in women and men

We tested the hypothesis that isolated steroids, claimed to act like pherom ones, affect human psychological state or mood. In the first experiment, we established that two steroids, Delta 4,16-androstadien-3-one and 1,3,5(10) 16-estratetraen-3-ol, modulated emotional states within 6 min of exposure. In men and women, neither steroid had specific effects on states of alertne ss or negative-confused mood. However, both steroids increased positive sti mulated mood state in women but decreased it in men. These psychological fi ndings do not parallel the reported sexually specific effects of these two steroids on the surface potential activity of putative vomeronasal epitheli um. In a second experiment on women, we replicated that Delta 4,16-androsta dien-3-one modulated their general mood state, even when women were not awa re of its odor and gave identical olfactory descriptions for the steroid an d the control carrier solutions. In this within-subjects, repeated-measures experiment, androstadienone prevented the deterioration in general mood wh ich occurred during exposure to the clove oil carrier solution in the labor atory environment. Thus, androstadienone appears to modulate affect, rather than releasing stereotyped behaviors or emotions. It is premature to call these steroids human pheromones. They are nonetheless psychologically poten t, mandating future work delineating their function-i.e., whether these ste roids are communicative chemosignals, context specific, or related to uncon scious associations. In light of these modulatory effects and the complexit y of human behavior, the function of chemosignals and pheromonal systems in a variety of species may need to be expanded to include the concept of mod ulators, as well as the traditional releasers, primers, and signaling compo unds. (C) Academic Press.