Autoradiographic analysis of [3H]dopamine and [3H]dopa uptake in the turtle olfactory bulb

Uptake and retention of exogenous tritiated dopamine and L-dopa was observed within turtle olfactory bulb slices. In the more superficial layers, periglomerular and superficial tufted cells, as well as their processes, and intraglomerular dendrites were recognized as labeled. Within the deeper part of the bulb, some labeled cells between the tanycytes, as well as nerve fibers and terminals within the granule cell layer, are reported. The results confirm the presence of specific intrinsic dopaminergic cells within the reptilian olfactory bulb.     

Mechanisms of olfactory dysfunction in aging and neurodegenerative disorders

Although olfaction is the primal sense in animals, its importance in humans is underappreciated. Extensive literature demonstrates that aging is accompanied by olfactory loss and hyposmia/anosmia which is also a feature of several neurodegenerative disorders. Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases are characterized by severe olfactory deficits, while problems of olfactory discrimination are less prominent features in several other disorders. Olfactory loss is accompanied by structural abnormalities of the olfactory epithelium, the olfactory bulb and the central olfactory cortices. This review summarizes our present knowledge about the pathological changes in the olfactory system during aging and in various neurodegenerative diseases.