麝鼠是我国重要的特种经济动物之一，雄性麝鼠香囊腺分泌的麝鼠香，药理作用与天然麝香相似，是天然麝香的重要补充，但香囊腺分泌麝鼠香的调控机制尚不清楚。我们前期研究发现：麝鼠香囊腺形态学和组织学变化与其血清中睾酮浓度变化呈正相关，香囊腺腺细胞表达雄激素受体、雌激素合成酶和雌激素受体。据此推测：雄激素是调节麝鼠分泌麝鼠香的重要因素，雄激素可与其受体结合或转化为雌激素并与其受体结合，调控香囊腺泌香的功能。本项目研究的主要内容包括：1.自然条件下，研究繁殖期和非繁殖期雄激素和雌激素调节麝鼠香囊腺泌香功能作用；2. 通过睾丸摘除，激素干扰和香囊腺腺细胞培养实验，研究雄激素和雌激素调控麝鼠香囊腺泌香功能；3.通过体外和体内实验确定雄激素和雌激素信号通路下游关键基因，阐明雄激素和雌激素调控麝鼠香囊腺泌香的分子机制。项目结果为提高麝鼠香囊腺泌香产量和质量提供基础数据，并服务于麝鼠养殖业和麝鼠香产业化发展需求。

Muskrat is one of the major economic animals in China. The scented gland of male muskrat secretes musk, which has similar pharmacological effects as the natural musk. However, how the secretion of musk in the males is regulated is largely unclear. Our previous studies found that morphological and histological changes of the scented gland were positively correlated with serum testosterone concentration, and androgen receptor (AR), P450arom and estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) were also highly expressed in glandular cells of the scented gland. Based on these findings, we hypothesize that androgen is a key player during the process of musk secretion. Androgen either binds to its receptor, or being converted into estrogen, which subsequently binds to estrogen receptors to exert its function. Thus, these steroid hormones may regulate the function of the musk gland in an endocrine or autocrine/paracrine manner. The present project herein focuses on the following aspects: 1. clarify the roles of androgen and estrogen in regulating the secretion of musk during the breeding and non-breeding seasons under natural conditions; 2. further verify the functions of androgen and estrogen in the musk secretion in vitro and in vivo, either utilizing cultured scented glandular cells or applying orchiectomy, hormonal interference experiments; 3. identify the key target genes mediating the actions of androgen/estrogen, and the molecular mechanism how androgen and estrogen regulating scented gland of muskrat secrete muskrat musk via in vitro and in vivo model. The prospective outcome of this study will help us to gain basic knowledge in the biology of the musk secretion. The expected data will also lay a solid theoretical foundation for improving the musk production in this species, which may boost the industrialization of muskrat cultivation and musk production.