(Ph.D. - British Columbia)
Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour
1280 Main Street West
Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1
PC-314
PHONE: (905)525-9140, Ext. 23014 LAB: 22038
FAX: (905)-5296225
EMAIL: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Most of my laboratory research has concerned the roles of steroid hormones in reproduction, stress, and aggression. This work is primarily conducted with laboratory mice, but there are some human projects.

Excretions of steroids and social impacts on reproduction: My students and I have developed methods for measurement of steroids (e.g. testosterone, estrogens, and progesterone) in the excretions of mice. Unlike methods that involve blood sampling, our methods are non-invasive, so we can take repeated measures and develop profiles of steroids over development and in relationship to ongoing behaviour.

Roles of steroids as pheromones: We have been studying disruptions of early pregnancy induced by stress, by hormonal changes, and by exposure to novel males. Minute doses of exogenous estrogens terminate pregnancy during the critical window of intrauterine implantation of fertilized ova. Males can terminate pregnancies that they did not sire through pheromonal actions of their urine. We have proven that there are sufficient quantities of androgens and estrogens in novel male urine to account for the pregnancy losses. We are now also investigating whether similar dynamics are involved when exposure to males induces premature puberty in developing females.

Steroids in human excretions: We have recently been measuring androgens and estrogens in human excretions, especially perspiration. We are interested in finding out whether such steroids can act as pheromones in people, being passed from one individual to another during intimate behaviour.

Xenoestrogens: We are beginning research that examines the role of estrogenic environmental contaminants as well as natural plant phytoestrogens upon reproduction. We are particularly focussing on the effects of such environmental estrogens upon early pregnancy.

Some Recent Publications

Recent Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

• deCatanzaro, D., Khan, A., Berger, R.G., & Lewis, E. (2009). Exposure to developing females induces polyuria, polydipsia, and altered urinary levels of creatinine, 17b-estradiol, and testosterone in adult male mice (Mus musculus). Hormones and Behavior, 55, 240-247.
• Shaw, J., & deCatanzaro, D. (2009). Estrogenicity of parabens revisited: Impact of parabens on early pregnancy and an uterotrophic assay in mice. Reproductive Toxicology, 28, 26-31.
• Kolozsi, E., MacKenzie, R.N., Roullet, F.I., deCatanzaro, D., & Foster, J.A. (2009). Prenatal exposure to valproic acid leads to reduced expression of synaptic adhesion molecule neuroligin 3 in mice. Neuroscience, in press.
• Khan, A., Berger, R.G., & deCatanzaro, D. (2009). Preputialectomised and intact adult male mice exhibit an elevated urinary ratio of oestradiol to creatinine in the presence of developing females, whilst promoting uterine and ovarian growth of these females. Reproduction, Fertility and Development, in press.
• Vaillancourt, T., deCatanzaro, D., Duku, E. & Muir, C. (2009). Androgen dynamics in the context of children’s peer relations: An examination of the links between testosterone and peer-victimization. Aggressive Behavior, 35, 103-113.
• Berger, R.G., Shaw, J., & deCatanzaro, D. (2008). Impact of acute bisphenol A exposure upon intrauterine implantation of fertilized ova and urinary 17b-estradiol and progesterone levels. Reproductive Toxicology, 26, 94-99.
• Muir, C.C., Treasurywala, K., McAllister, S., Sutherland, J., Dukas, L. Berger, R.G., Khan, A. & deCatanzaro, D. (2008). Enzyme immunoassay of testosterone, 17b-estradiol, and progesterone in perspiration and urine of preadolescents and young adults: Exceptional levels in men’s axillary perspiration. Hormone and Metabolic Research, 40, 819-826.
• Khan, A., Bellefontaine, N., & deCatanzaro, D. (2008). Onset of sexual maturation in female mice as measured in behavior and fertility: Interactions of exposure to males, phytoestrogen content of diet, and ano-genital distance. Physiology & Behavior, 93, 588–594.
• Khan, A., Berger, R.G., & deCatanzaro, D. (2008). The onset of puberty in female mice as reflected in urinary steroids and uterine/ovarian mass: Interactions of exposure to males, phyto-oestrogen content of diet, and ano-genital distance. Reproduction, 135, 99-106.
• Vaillancourt, T., Duku, E., deCatanzaro, D., MacMillan, H., Muir, C., & Schmidt, L.A. (2008). Variation in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity among bullied and non-bullied children. Aggressive Behavior, 34, 294–305.
• Berger, R., Hancock, T., & deCatanzaro, D. (2007). Influence of oral and subcutaneous bisphenol-A on intrauterine implantation of fertilized ova in inseminated female mice. Reproductive Toxicology, 23, 138-144.
• deCatanzaro, D.,  Beaton E.A., Khan, A. & Vella, E. (2006). Urinary oestradiol and testosterone levels from novel male mice approach values sufficient to disrupt pregnancy in nearby inseminated females.  Reproduction, 132, 309-317.
• Beaton, E.A., Khan, A. & deCatanzaro, D. (2006). Urinary sex steroids during sexual development in female mice and in proximate novel males. Hormone and Metabolic Research, 38, 501-506.
• Beaton, E.A. & deCatanzaro, D. (2005). Novel males' capacity to disrupt early pregnancy in mice (Mus musculus) is attenuated via a chronic reduction of males' urinary 17b-estradiol. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 30, 688-697.
• deCatanzaro, D., Muir, C., Beaton, E.A., & Jetha, M. (2004). Non-invasive repeated measurement of urinary progesterone, 17b-estradiol, and testosterone in developing, cycling, pregnant, and postpartum female mice. Steroids, 69, 687-696.
• deCatanzaro, D. & Murji, T. (2004). Inseminated female mice investigate rather than avoid novel males that disrupt pregnancy, but sires protect pregnancy.  Journal of Comparative Psychology, 118, 251-257.
• deCatanzaro, D., Muir, C., Beaton, E., Jetha, M., & Nadella, K. (2003). Enzymeimmunoassay of oestradiol, testosterone and progesterone in urine samples from female mice before and after insemination. Reproduction, 126, 407-414. 

Book

• deCatanzaro, D. (1999). Motivation and Emotion: Evolutionary, Physiological, Developmental, and Social Perspectives. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall (Pearson Education).  Also published in Spanish (2001), Polish (2003), and Japanese (2005).