The Olfactory Bulb: A Metabolic Sensor of Brain Insulin and Glucose Concentrations via a Voltage-Gated Potassium Channel.

The voltage-gated potassium channel, Kv1.3, contributes a large proportion of the current in mitral cell neurons of the olfactory bulb where it assists to time the firing patterns of action potentials as spike clusters that are important for odorant detection. Gene-targeted deletion of the Kv1.

State-dependent sculpting of olfactory sensory neurons is attributed to sensory enrichment, odor deprivation, and aging.

Gene-targeted deletion of the predominant Shaker potassium channel, Kv1.3, in the mitral cells of the olfactory bulb, decreases the number of presynaptic, odorant receptor (OR)-identified olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) in the main olfactory epithelium (MOE) and alters the nature of their postsynaptic connections to mitral cell targets. The current study examined whether OSN density was state-dependent by examining the impact of (1) odor enrichment, (2) sensory deprivation, and (3) aging upon the number of P2- or M72-expressing neurons.

Upregulation of the chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 following unilateral nerve injury in the peripheral taste system.

Macrophages are recruited to both sides of the tongue following unilateral chorda tympani (CT) nerve injury. The mechanisms responsible for recruiting these macrophages to the peripheral taste system are unknown. Neural degeneration in other systems leads to the upregulation of small molecules that function as chemoattractant cytokines, or chemokines.

Upregulation of intracellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 after unilateral nerve injury in the peripheral taste system.

In the peripheral taste system, activated macrophages are recruited to both sides of the tongue after unilateral sectioning of the chorda tympani nerve (CT). Neural degeneration elicits macrophage entry in other systems by upregulating vascular adhesion molecules. We hypothesized that CT sectioning leads to a bilateral increase in intracellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 expression on lingual vessels.

Lipopolysaccharide-induced up-regulation of activated macrophages in the degenerating taste system.

Unilateral chorda tympani (CT) nerve section and maintenance on a sodium-restricted diet leads to a rapid decrease in neurophysiological taste responses to sodium in the contralateral, intact CT nerve. Up-regulation of immune function with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 100 microg i.p.