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Olfactory function in zinc-deficient adult mice
1Division of Science and Technology, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld, Australia.
Experimental Brain Research
|January 1, 1989
Summary
Zinc deficiency in adult mice did not impact olfactory epithelium cell turnover. However, it impaired olfactory function, suggesting disruption in higher brain centers.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Olfactory System Research
- Nutritional Neuroscience
Background:
- Zinc deficiency is linked to olfactory epithelium degeneration in rats and reduced olfactory sensitivity in humans.
- Zinc is crucial for embryonic neural development, and its role in adult olfactory receptor neurogenesis is under investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of dietary zinc restriction on the olfactory system of adult mice.
- To determine if zinc deficiency impacts olfactory epithelium cell turnover and function.
Main Methods:
- Adult mice underwent 42 days of dietary zinc restriction.
- Behavioral tests assessed olfactory function and general activity.
- Histological examination of olfactory epithelia included [3H]-thymidine autoradiography and immunohistochemistry for olfactory marker protein.
Main Results:
- Zinc-deficient mice exhibited impaired food odor preference compared to controls.
- General activity levels remained similar between deficient and control groups.
- Olfactory epithelia appeared normal, with no significant differences in basal cell proliferation, post-mitotic survival, thickness, or olfactory marker protein expression.
Conclusions:
- Dietary zinc deficiency in adult mice does not affect olfactory epithelium cell turnover.
- Impaired olfactory function in zinc deficiency may result from interference with zinc-containing neurons in higher olfactory centers.