title: Anatomical and functional evidence for a role of arginine-vasopressin (AVP) in rat olfactory epithelium cells.
abstract: The olfactory epithelium (OE) is composed of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) and sustentacular cells; it lies in the nasal cavity where it is protected by a thin mucus layer. The finely regulated composition of this mucus provides OSN with a suitable ionic environment. To maintain the functional integrity of the epithelium despite permanent physical, chemical and microbial aggressions, both OSNs and surrounding sustentacular cells are continuously renewed from globose basal cells. Moreover, the sense of smell is involved in so numerous behaviours (feeding, reproduction, etc.) that it has to cross-talk with the endocrine and neuroendocrine systems. Thus, besides its sensory function, the olfactory epithelium is thought to undergo a lot of complex regulatory processes. We therefore studied the effects of various neuropeptides on primary cultures of Sprague-Dawley rat olfactory epithelium cells. We found that arginine-vasopressin (AVP) triggered a robust, dose-dependent calcium increase in these cells. The cell response was essentially ascribed to the V1a AVP receptor, whose presence was confirmed by RT-PCR and immunolabelling. In the culture, V1a but not V1b receptors were present, mainly localized in neurons. In the epithelium, both subtypes were found differentially distributed. V1a-R were localized mainly in globose basal cells and at the apical side of the epithelium, in the area of the dendritic knobs of OSNs. V1b-R were strongly associated with Bowman's gland cells and globose basal cells. These localizations suggested potential multifaceted roles of a hormone, AVP, in the olfactory epithelium.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Neurobiologie de l'Olfaction et de la Prise Alimentaire, Equipe Récepteurs et Communications Cellulaires, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Domaine de Vilvert, 78352 Jouy-en-Josas Cedex.
authors.forename: Grégoire
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Levasseur
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baly
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grébert
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Durieux
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salesse
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caillol
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001896:Boron Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D019256:Cadmium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004533:Egtazic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004963:Estrenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016257:Fura-2 / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009831:Olfactory Mucosa / Q000166:cytology*; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000494:pharmacology; D011760:Pyrrolidinones / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018045:Receptors, Oxytocin / Q000378:metabolism; D017483:Receptors, Vasopressin / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D019284:Thapsigargin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors; D014700:Verapamil / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D001896:Boron Compounds; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D002614:Chelating Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D004963:Estrenes; D011760:Pyrrolidinones; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018045:Receptors, Oxytocin; D017483:Receptors, Vasopressin; C049925:fura-2-am; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; C074854:U 73343; D010121:Oxytocin; D004533:Egtazic Acid; D019284:Thapsigargin; D014700:Verapamil; C109986:2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate; D019256:Cadmium Chloride; D002118:Calcium; D016257:Fura-2