費洛蒙是與交配和生殖有關的化學信號。陌生雄小鼠的費洛蒙會使懷孕前期的雌小鼠流產，該現象稱為布魯斯效應(Bruce effect)，這顯示雌鼠能夠記憶並且辨認不同雄鼠的費洛蒙。目前對於費洛蒙辨識和記憶的研究日漸增加，但對於海馬迴中齒狀迴在嗅覺記憶的形成，以及費洛蒙對神經元新生的調控仍尚未明瞭。因此本研究將雌鼠在施打溴化去氧尿苷(5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine, BrdU)來標定新生細胞後，飼養在公鼠住過的籠中或與一公鼠共同居住七天，來觀察公鼠費洛蒙對神經元存活、分化和增生的影響。我們發現雄鼠費洛蒙可以促進雌鼠齒狀迴神經前驅細胞的增生以及新生神經元的存活。此研究成果不僅闡明雄鼠費洛蒙與神經元新生的關係，還暗示海馬迴可能參與費洛蒙記憶的形成。

Pheromones are chemical signals critical for reproduction. Female mice can form an “olfactory memory” specifically to her partner’s pheromones so that she will not reenter the estrus cycle after mating and cause a miscarriage. This is known as the Bruce effect. The olfactory bulb and hippocampus, two adult neurogenic sites, are involved in the formation of pheromonal memory. Although the roles of pheromones in adult neurogenesis are emerging, whether they affect cell proliferation, neuronal differentiation or survival remains elusive. After labeling newborn cells with 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) in female mice, they were housed either in a cage previously occupied by a male or with a male for seven days. We found that male pheromones could promote cell proliferation and survival but not neuronal differentiation of newborn cells in the dentate gyrus of female mice. These results indicate that male pheromones regulate adult hippocampal neurogenesis and adult neurogenesis may play important roles in the formation of pheromonal memory.