Title: | Effects of CO2 inhalation exposure on mice vomeronasal epithelium |
Author(s): | Hacquemand R; Buron G; Pourie G; Karrer M; Jacquot L; Brand G; |
Address: | "Laboratoire de Neurosciences, Universite de Franche-Comte, Besancon, France" |
DOI: | 10.1007/s10565-009-9143-9 |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1573-6822 (Electronic) 0742-2091 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "Nasal epitheliums are the first sites of the respiratory tract in contact with the external environment and may therefore be susceptible to damage from exposure to many toxic volatile substances (i.e., volatile organic components, vapors, and gases). In the field of inhalation toxicology, a number of studies have considered the main olfactory epithelium, but few have dealt with the epithelium of the vomeronasal organ (VNO). However, in several species such as in rodents, the VNO (an organ of pheromone detection) plays an important role in social interactions, and alterations of this organ are known to induce adaptative behavioral disturbances. Among volatile toxicants, health effects of inhaled gases have been thoroughly investigated, especially during CO(2) inhalation because of its increasing atmospheric concentration. Therefore, this work was designed to examine the effects of 3% CO(2) inhalation on VNO in two different exposure conditions (5 h/day and 12 h/day) in mice. Behavioral sensitivity tests to urine of congener and histological measurements of VNO were conducted before, during (weeks 1-4), and after (weeks 5-8) CO(2) inhalation exposures. Results showed no significant modifications of behavioral responses to urine, but there were significant changes of both cell number and thickness of the VNO epithelium. Moreover, the findings indicated a selectively dose-dependent effect of CO(2), and further research could use other gases in the same manner for comparison" |
Keywords: | Animals Carbon Dioxide/*administration & dosage/*pharmacology/toxicity Cell Count Inhalation Exposure/*analysis Male Maze Learning/drug effects Mice Olfactory Mucosa/cytology/*drug effects Time Factors Vomeronasal Organ/cytology/*drug effects;neuroscience; |
Notes: | "MedlineHacquemand, Romain Buron, Gaelle Pourie, Gregory Karrer, Melanie Jacquot, Laurence Brand, Gerard eng Switzerland 2009/11/20 Cell Biol Toxicol. 2010 Aug; 26(4):309-17. doi: 10.1007/s10565-009-9143-9. Epub 2009 Nov 20" |