Carnosine-, calcitonin gene-related peptide- and tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactivity in the mouse olfactory bulb following peripheral denervation

We report the effects of olfactory peripheral deafferentation by intranasal irrigation with ZnSO₄ on carnosine and CGRP immunoreactivities in the mouse olfactory system. In the normal rodent olfactory epithelium carnosine immunoreactivity is associated with the olfactory receptor neurons. Conversely, CGRP immunoreactivity appears to be associated with the trigeminal innervation of the nasal cavity. Following lesion the magnitude of carnosine immunoreactivity in the olfactory epithelium is strongly reduced while CGRP immunoreactivity is unaffected. In the olfactory bulb, deafferentation causes a strong reduction of carnosine immunoreactivity in the glomerular layer and, concurrently, of TH immunoreactivity in the juxtaglomerular neurons. CGRP immunoreactive fibers in the olfactory bulb are abundant in the glomerular layer both before and after deafferentation. These data demonstrate that, in the adult mouse, the immunocytochemically detectable levels of CGRP are not altered following lesion and indicate CGRP is not released directly from the olfactory neurons to induce TH production.