Constitutive and evoked release of ATP in adult mouse olfactory epithelium.

In adult olfactory epithelium (OE), ATP plays a role in constant cell turnover and post-injury neuroregeneration. We previously demonstrated that constitutive and ATP-evoked ATP release are present in neonatal mouse OE and underlie continuous cell turn-over and post-injury neuroregeneration, and that activation of purinergic P2X receptors is involved in the evoked release. We hypothesized that both releases are present in adult mouse OE.

Neuropeptide Y and extracellular signal-regulated kinase mediate injury-induced neuroregeneration in mouse olfactory epithelium.

In the olfactory epithelium (OE), injury induces ATP release, and subsequent activation of P2 purinergic receptors by ATP promotes neuroregeneration by increasing basal progenitor cell proliferation. The molecular mechanisms underlying ATP-induced increases in OE neuroregeneration have not been established. In the present study, the roles of neuroproliferative factors neuropeptide Y (NPY) and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), and p44/42 extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) on ATP-mediated increases of neuroregeneration in the OE were investigated.

NPY mediates ATP-induced neuroproliferation in adult mouse olfactory epithelium.

In the CNS, ATP is released upon injury and promotes neuroproliferation via purinergic receptors. In the olfactory epithelium, ATP promotes the synthesis and release of neurotrophic factor NPY in neonates and induces neuroproliferation in neonatal and adult mice. We tested the hypothesis that NPY is involved in ATP-induced neuroproliferation in adult mice olfactory epithelium.

Purinergic receptor activation evokes neurotrophic factor neuropeptide Y release from neonatal mouse olfactory epithelial slices.

One premise regarding the mechanism of injury-evoked neuroregeneration is that injured cells induce the release of neurotrophic factors to trigger neurogenesis. Extracellular purine nucleotides exert multiple neurotrophic actions in the central nervous system mediated via activation of purinergic receptors. However, whether purinergics have a neurotrophic role in the olfactory neuroepithelium has not been investigated.

Calcium store-mediated signaling in sustentacular cells of the mouse olfactory epithelium.

Sustentacular cells have structural features that allude to functions of secretion, absorption, phagocytosis, maintenance of extracellular ionic gradients, metabolism of noxious chemicals, and regulation of cell turnover. We present data detailing their dynamic activity. We show, using a mouse olfactory epithelium slice model, that sustentacular cells are capable of generating two types of calcium signals: intercellular calcium waves where elevations in intracellular calcium propagate between neighboring cells, and intracellular calcium oscillations consisting of repetitive elevations in intracellular calcium confined to single cells.