mmm, I have access to UCI's Library and all their subscriptions to various journals across all fields of research (via a friend, alumni have to pay to have access :[ )

Here's an abstract of the article.

Androstenol - a Steroid Derived Odor Activates the Hypothalamus in Women

Author(s): Savic, Ivanka (ivanka.savic-berglund@ki.se); Berglund, Hans
Source: PLoS One Volume: 5 Issue: 2 Pages: Article No.: e8651 Published: FEB 17 2010
Abstract: Background: Whether pheromone signaling exists in humans is still a matter of intense discussion. In the present study we tested if smelling of Androstenol, a steroid produced by the human body and reported to affect human behavior, may elicit cerebral activation. A further issue was to evaluate whether the pattern of activation resembles the pattern of common odors.Methodology: PET measurements of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) were conducted in 16 healthy heterosexual women during passive smelling of Androstenol, four ordinary odors (OO), and odorless air (the base line condition).Principal findings: Smelling Androstenol caused activation of a portion of the hypothalamus, which according to animal data mediates the pheromone triggered mating behavior. Smelling of OO, on the other hand, engaged only the classical olfactory regions (the piriform cortex, lateral amygdala, anterior insular and anterior cingulate cortex).Conclusions: The observed pattern of activation is very similar to the pattern previously detected with 4,16-androstadien-3-one in heterosexual females. It suggests that several compounds released by human body may activate cerebral networks involved in human reproduction.
Accession Number: PREV201000173431
Document Type: Article
Language: English
Address: Savic, Ivanka ; Karolinska Inst, Stockholm Brain Inst, Dept Clin Neurosci, Stockholm, Sweden
ISSN: 1932-6203
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0008651

The full text of the article is available for free from the following URL

http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/...ne.0008651

Also available for free is:
Effects of 5alpha-androst-16-en-3alpha-ol on the pulsatile secretion of luteinizing hormone in human females. Shinohara K, Morofushi M, Funabashi T, Mitsushima D, Kimura F. Chem Senses. 2000 Aug;25(4):465-7.
http://chemse.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/25/4/465

A few years ago, some colleagues showed that male axillary secretions alter (LH) luteinizing hormone levels (and mood) in women. Free at: http://www.biolreprod.org/content/68/6/2107.long

All this is not surprising to those who have followed my work. My first presentation (in 1992) was Luteinizing hormone (LH): the link between sex and the sense of smell. In 2007 I detailed the evolution of the neurophysiological mechanism that links LH to sex and the sense of smell. Free at:
http://www2.hu-berlin.de/sexology/BIB/kohl.htm

Meanwhile, most of the marketers are still telling consumers about how human pheromones act via a nonfunctional human VNO. I perceive the need for some education of the masses, who might someday start reading the available literature. Thanks for citing one of the most pertinent recent articles. There are a few more coming from different research groups that have already presented their findings at different conferences, but have not yet published.

James V. Kohl
http://www.pheromones.com