Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 28, 2026

Olfactory Assays for Mouse Models of Neurodegenerative Disease
Published on: August 25, 2014
The neuroplastic effect of olfactory training to the recovery of olfactory system in mouse model
Boo-Young Kim1, Ju Yeon Park2, Eui Jin Kim2
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
Background:
Several studies have reported the benefits of olfactory training (OT) in the olfactory nervous system of mouse models. Therefore, in this study we performed next-generation sequencing to evaluate the effects of OT on mRNA sequencing in the olfactory area.
Methods:
Mice in each group were administered 300 mg of 3-methylindole per kilogram of mouse weight. The olfactory function was evaluated by a food-finding test once a week. The olfactory neuroepithelium was harvested for histologic examination and protein analysis. Subsequently, data analysis, gene ontology and pathway analysis, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction of mRNA, and Western blot analysis were conducted.
Results:
Mice were divided into 4 groups according to treatment. Control, anosmia, training, and steroid group mice resumed food finding. Olfactory Maker Protein, olfr1507, ADCY3, and GNAL mRNA expression was higher in the olfactory neuroepithelium of OT than anosmia group mice. In total, 26,364 mRNAs were analyzed. Comparison of the results of OT vs anosmia revealed that ADCY8,10, GFAP, NGF, NGFR, GFAP, and BDNF mRNAs were upregulated in the gene ontology.
Conclusion:
OT improved olfactory function, as indicated by the food-finding test. OT improved the olfactory recovery time to stimulate olfactory nerve regeneration. OT may initially stimulate the olfactory receptor, followed by neurogenesis. Steroid therapy and OT operated under completely different mechanisms in the upregulated gene study. These results indicate that OT may be one of the future modalities for treating olfactory impairment.
Related Concept Videos
Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway
The olfactory...
Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure
Neuroplasticity
Muscle Recovery and Fatigue
Mouse Models of Cancer Study
The development of transgenic, knockout, and knock-in mice has led to an exponential increase in their use as model organisms in research,...
Molecular Models

