Analysis of the topographical organization of olfactory epithelium projections in the rat

Brain Res Bull. 1986 Apr;16(4):455-62. doi: 10.1016/0361-9230(86)90173-5.

Abstract

The degree of topographical organization of epithelium-to-bulb connections in 15-day-old rats was analyzed from the complete mapping of these projections previously described by using the HRP retrograde tracing method. We performed HRP placements in the antero-posterior (anterior, central and posterior injections) and dorso-ventral bulbar axes. Results demonstrated: lack of transposition of any plane of the epithelial sheet along the antero-posterior axis in the bulb which indicated a typical diffuse distribution of projections along this bulbar plane; a general tendency of the medial, lateral, dorsal and ventral epithelial regions to project to homologous bulbar surfaces; however, this transposition was always relative; the importance of the dorso-ventral bulbar axis in the somatotopic organization of projections since this plane was a common plane on which the different mucosal axes were represented. These results suggest that the topographical organization of projections reflects the ontogenetically determined epithelium-to-bulb connections.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Afferent Pathways / anatomy & histology
  • Animals
  • Brain Mapping*
  • Epithelial Cells
  • Functional Laterality
  • Horseradish Peroxidase
  • Microinjections
  • Neurons, Afferent / cytology*
  • Neurons, Afferent / physiology
  • Olfactory Bulb / anatomy & histology*
  • Olfactory Bulb / cytology
  • Olfactory Bulb / physiology
  • Olfactory Mucosa / innervation*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Inbred Strains

Substances

  • Horseradish Peroxidase