| Chemical cues profoundly influence rodents' behavior, and play a significant role to animals' survival. Social relationships in rodents are dependent on social recognition. This recognition includes rodents identify, learn and remember chemical signals. International studies for animal social recognition behavior have made it a start elucidating animal learn and memory neurobiology mechanisms. This study use monogamous mandarin voles (Microtus mandarinus) as subject to investigate following social recognition behavior: Analysis of exploratory behavior pattern of mandarin voles for conspecific individual odor sources; Lactating mandarin voles recognition memory for mate; Lactating mandarin vole dams recognition for alien pups; Mandarin vole pups recognition for parental odors; Expression of nNOS and FOS in individual recognition of mandarin voles and reed voles (Microtus fortis); Effects of peripheral administration nitric oxide synthesis (NOS) inhibitor to mandarin voles olfactory exploration and FOS expression in brain.1. Analysis of exploratory behavior pattern of mandarin voles for conspecific individual odor sources: It was observed that exploratory behavior of anoestrus mandarin voles for different odor sources of anesthetized conspecific individuals, including males sniffling anesthetized males and females as well females sniffling anesthetized males and females. Results showed that mandarin voles displayed a greater number of investigations for anogenital region (A-R) and face than for other sources (P<0.05); Sniffling frequency and duration was lower in the regions of back, venter and flank. Sniffling frequency for the same region of males to males, females to females, females to males was higher than that of males to females (PO.05); Sniffling duration for the same region of gender arranging in parrs had no significant difference, but odor sources and gender arranging in pairs had interaction which influenced investigating behavior (P<0.05). These results indicate that A-R and face are important regions for the voles producing individual odor information. Although gender difference for the voles investigating the same odor source was found, yet not all investigations of heterosexual individuals are more than those of homosexual individuals in the anoestrus period.2. Lactating mandarin voles recognition memory for mate: In a resident-intruder test, lactating mandarin voles were observed for their behavior response to strange males and their mates that were separated from females for 7days, 14days and 21 daysafter females parturition. Manifested by frequency and duration, females showed a lower aggressive behavior to mates than to strange males (P<0.05), in contrast, females showed more amicability behavior and sniffling behavior to mates than to strange males (P<0.05). Maternal aggression level had no significantly difference during early, middle and late lactating periods. These results suggest that mandarin vole females are capable of forming selective mate recognition and stranger-directed aggression in the whole lactating period. Although females are in different lactating phase, yet their aggression level to strangers has no obvious change, which may be related with their strong maternal behavior.3. Lactating mandarin vole dams recognition for alien pups: Relation on maternal recognition, postnatal time and alien pups age with infanticide in lactating mandarin voles were investigated. Mandarin vole dams in home cage during postnatal 2days (L2), 6days (L6), lOdays (L10), 14days (L14) and 20days (L20) were observed and compared for behavioral response to their own pups and 2-day-old, 6-day-old, 10-day-old and 14-day-old alien pups, While 14-day-old alien pups were observed when they were retrieved by dams. During early lactating period (L2, L4), dams infanticide to different age alien pups had significantly difference (P<0.01), and this phenomenon was not found during mid (LI4, L10) and late (L20) lactating period. Dams displayed more infanticide to 14-day-old alien old pups in the whole lac...
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