title: Stereological estimation of olfactory receptor neurons in rats.
abstract: The total number of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) in the rat main olfactory epithelium (MOE) was estimated using stereological sampling. Skulls and noses of newborn (postnatal day 0), young adult (8 weeks), and adult (6 months) rats were decalcified, embedded in paraffin, cut into 10-μm thick sections serially at 100-μm intervals, and processed for immunohistochemistry for olfactory marker protein (OMP), a specific marker of mature ORNs with fiber connections to the olfactory bulb. The number of OMP (+) receptor neurons was measured using an optical fractionator with stereological software (Stereoinvestigator). The total number of OMP (+) receptor neurons in the unilateral MOE was 0.47 × 10(6) in newborns and 21 × 10(6) in young adults and adults. Our previous study showed that the corresponding unilateral total number of neurons was 5.2 × 10(6) in young adult mice. Accordingly, we concluded that rats had 4 times more OMP (+) receptor neurons than mice at the adult stage and that the number of these neurons increased approximately 45 times between birth and maturity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan kyutaro@shinshu-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kyutaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawagishi
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan.
authors.forename: Mai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan.
authors.forename: Kumiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yokouchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan.
authors.forename: Norimi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sumitomo
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan.
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karasawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan.
authors.forename: Nanae
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moriizumi
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000378:metabolism; D051842:Olfactory Marker Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D009831:Olfactory Mucosa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D018034:Olfactory Receptor Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D051842:Olfactory Marker Protein; C497599:Omp protein, rat
keywords: main olfactory epithelium; olfactory receptor neurons; rat; stereology; total neuron number