BACKGROUND P-glycoprotein (Pgp) and multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP1) are membrane transporter proteins which function as efflux pumps at cell membranes and are considered to exert a protective function against the entry of xenobiotics. While evidence for Pgp and MRP transporter activity is reported for olfactory tissue, their possible interaction and participation in the olfactory...

CD36 is a transmembrane protein that is involved in the recognition of certain amphiphilic molecules such as polar lipids in various tissues and body fluids. So far, CD36 homologues in insects have been demonstrated to be present on the surface of olfactory dendrites and to participate in the perception of exogenous compounds. However, little is known about the relationship between CD36 and mam...

2,6-Dichlorophenyl methylsulfone (2,6-diClPh-MeSO2) is a potent olfactory toxicant reported to induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, caspase activation, and extensive cell death in mice. The aim of the present study was to examine cytochrome P450 (P450)-dependent bioactivation, nonprotein sulfhydryl (NP-SH) levels, and early ultrastructural changes in mouse olfactory mucosa following an i.p...

OBJECTIVE We sought to study the yield of olfactory ensheathing cells from biopsies of the mucosa of the nasal septum. These specialized cells encourage regeneration of nerves of the central nervous system and may be of value for spinal cord and nerve injuries. METHODS We undertook a prospective observational study of biopsies of nasal mucosa by endonasal dissection of the mucosa of the nasal...

The effects of thiol-specific reagents on the amplitude of the electro-olfactogram (E.O.G.) responses elicited from frog olfactory mucosa by pulses of odorant vapours was studied. The impermeant thiol-specific reagent mersalyl [(3-{[2-(carboxymethoxy)-benzoyl]amino}-2-methoxypropyl)hydroxymercury monosodium salt] brings about a rapid decrease in the E.O.G. signal obtained with the odorant penty...

INTRODUCTION Phantosmia is the qualitative disorder of olfaction characterized by the perception of odor, usually unpleasant, when there are no odorants present. It may be described as cacosmic (rotten, decayed, fecal), torquosmic (burned, metallic, chemical-like), or mixed. Phantosmia is a relatively uncommon disorder of olfaction and represents around 10% to 20% of olfactory disorders among t...

Whole-body autoradiography of mice and rats after i.v. administration of 2,3,7,8-[14C]tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin ([14C]TCDD) showed a selective localization of radioactivity in the liver and nasal olfactory mucosa. In microautoradiograms of solvent extracted sections of the skulls of mice given injections of [3H]TCDD, no radioactivity was observed in the olfactory mucosa, suggesting that TCDD ...

The olfactory mucosa, located in the nasal cavity, is in charge of detecting odours. It is also the only nervous tissue that is exposed to the external environment and easily accessible in every living individual. As a result, this tissue is unique for anyone aiming to identify molecular anomalies in the pathological brain or isolate adult stem cells for cell therapy. Molecular abnormalities in...

The sense of smell is conveyed by the olfactory sensory neurons of the olfactory mucosa. Uniquely for sensory systems, the olfactory neurons directly face the external environment and are thus vulnerable to infections and changes in the airway surface liquid, but the surface liquid production and maintenance is not well understood. Here we show in rats and mice that Bowman's glands secrete the ...

Chronic rhinosinusitis is the most frequent cause of hyposmia. We established a new experimental animal model to investigate pathological findings in the olfactory epithelium and olfactory bulb of rats and describe the possible etiology of hyposmia due to rhinosinusitis. Not only dysfunction of the olfactory epithelium but a central type of hyposmia caused by disorders of the olfactory bulb was...