Soft-diet feeding impairs neural transmission between mitral cells and interneurons in the mouse olfactory bulb

(Objective) The subventricular zone in mice generates a lot of neuroblasts even during adulthood. These neuroblasts migrate to the olfactory bulb and differentiate into inhibitory interneurons such as granule cells and periglomerular cells. Olfactory sensory neurons receive information from various odorants and transmit it to the olfactory bulb. Our previous study showed that soft-diet feeding impairs neurogenesis in the subventricular zone, in turn leading to the reduction of odor-induced behaviors and Fos-immunoreactivities, the latter of which are markers of neural activity, at the olfactory bulb after exposure to odors. Release of GABA from inhibitory interneurons at the olfactory bulb induces inhibitory currents at the mitral cells, which are output neurons from the olfactory bulb. (Design) In the present study, we measured spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs) at the mitral cells of mice fed a soft diet in order to explore the effects of changes in texture of diets on neural function at the olfactory bulb. (Results) The soft-diet feeding extended the intervals between sIPSCs and reduced their peak amplitudes. (Conclusions) The present results suggest that soft-diet feeding in mice attenuates the neural functions of inhibitory interneurons at the olfactory bulb.