Model
Digital Document
Publisher
Florida Atlantic University
Description
Unlike most neurons in the adult nervous system, olfactory receptor neurons (ORN),
found in the olfactory epithelium (OE), continually turnover in the adult rat. These
neurons project their axons to the olfactory bulb which is their central target. The
present study eliminated target neurons in the bulb using N-methyl-D-aspartate
(NMDA) to examine the effects of target loss on ORN survival and maturation. We
compared the effects of the NMDA lesion to bulbectomy, a permanent surgical
removal of the bulb, which simultaneously causes damage to ORN axons. We found
that unlike bulbectomy, large numbers of dying OE cells were not observed at any
time after the lesion. The number of immature neurons increased relative to the
control side, and the number of mature neurons also slightly increased with time
following NMDA lesion. Survival of ORNs does not seem to be significantly altered
in the absence of its target.
found in the olfactory epithelium (OE), continually turnover in the adult rat. These
neurons project their axons to the olfactory bulb which is their central target. The
present study eliminated target neurons in the bulb using N-methyl-D-aspartate
(NMDA) to examine the effects of target loss on ORN survival and maturation. We
compared the effects of the NMDA lesion to bulbectomy, a permanent surgical
removal of the bulb, which simultaneously causes damage to ORN axons. We found
that unlike bulbectomy, large numbers of dying OE cells were not observed at any
time after the lesion. The number of immature neurons increased relative to the
control side, and the number of mature neurons also slightly increased with time
following NMDA lesion. Survival of ORNs does not seem to be significantly altered
in the absence of its target.
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