Experimental research of the olfactory receptor neurons of olfactory dysfunction by allergic rhinitis / 中国耳鼻咽喉头颈外科

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE To set up an intranasal ovalbumin-induced animal model of allergic rhinitis(AR) accompanied with olfactory dysfunction in mice. By observing the olfactory pathway in mice using manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) and the relatively morphologic structural and immunological changes in olfactory epithelium, the influence of AR on olfactory receptor neurons(ORNs) was studied.METHODS Forty SD mice were randomly divided into two groups, the research group(n=30) and the control group(n=10). The research group was intraperitoneally injected and intranasal application of ovalbumin to establish an AR mice model. The olfactory function of the mice was evaluated by buried food test(BFT). ELISA was performed to measure the level of IgE in serum. MEMRI images were acquired with a 7.0 T micro-MR scanner. HE staining and immunohistochemistry were used to observe the tissues morphology change of olfactory mucosa and OMP expression.RESULTS The olfactory function evaluation of the AR mice model indicated that the incidence of olfactory dysfunction in AR mice was 40.0%. The AR mice with olfactory dysfunction had no signal enhancement in MEMRI. The olfactory epithelium became thinner, layer numbers of ORNs were decreased with disorder arrangement and the OMP expression was decreased in AR mice with olfactory dysfunction compared with that in AR mice without olfactory dysfunction(P=0.018) and the control group(P=0.0141).CONCLUSION An animal model of AR accompanied with olfactory dysfunction in mice was successfully established. The influence of AR on ORNs and thus cause the change of the olfactory pathway is one of the major pathogenesis of olfactory dysfunction in AR.