2012 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Development and aging of the olfactory system

Research Project

Project/Area Number	23791886
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Research Field	Otorhinolaryngology
Research Institution	Shinshu University
Principal Investigator	KAWAGISHI Kyutaro 信州大学, 医学部, 助教 (40313845)
Research Collaborator	ANDO Mai 信州大学, 医学系研究科, 大学院生
Project Period (FY)	2011 – 2012
Keywords	嗅覚機能 / 正常発達 / 加齢変化
Research Abstract	We examined the total numbers of the olfactory receptor neurons in the olfactory epithelium (OE) and vomeronasal organ (VNO) of newborn and adult rats. The olfactory receptor neurons were stained immunohistochemically by using an anti-olfactory marker protein antibody. The total numbers of the olfactory receptor neurons were counted with acomputer assisted stereological microscope. We concluded that the total numbers of the olfactory receptor neurons in the OEs were 520,000 ± 10,000 in newborn rats and 21,200,000±810,000 in young adult (8w) rats, and that the total numbers of the olfactory receptor neurons in the VNOs were 6,000±867 in newborn rats and 240,000±30,000 in young adult rats.