2009 Abstracts - Association for Chemoreception Sciences

elationship between concentration and intensity remained thesame. 3) Across compounds, slopes of psychophysical functionsdiffered greatly. Differences among compounds in the slope ofpsychophysical functions are unsurprising, but serve as a positivecontrol of sorts for the lack of differences among compounds indynamics. In short, some aspects of the dynamics of nasalirritation may differ very little across VOCs. The basicmechanism of short-term adaptation may be the same for thecompounds studied. Regardless, these and other recent datasuggest that very simple models can describe some aspects ofperceptual dynamics quite well.#P257 Poster session VI: Chemosensory developmentand Psychophysics INasal biopsy assessment of veterinary students exposed toformaldehyde in anatomy classKaren K. Yee 1 , Tamika Wilson 1 , Ryan McDermott 1 , Edmund A.Pribitkin 2 , David Rosen 2 , Christopher Maute 1 , Pam Dalton 11Monell Chemical Senses Center Philadelphia, PA, USA,2Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, PA, USAInhaled formaldehyde has been linked to nasal irritation,inflammation and olfactory dysfunction and at highconcentrations to nasal tumors in animal and humanepidemiological studies. Occupational exposure to formaldehydein gross anatomy class from formalin-preserved cadavers is ahealth concern to both staffs and students. As part of our ongoingstudies to understand mechanisms underlying chemicalinduced chemosensory dysfunction, we examined nasal biopsies,taken from the upper aspect of the middle turbinate, from 15(5M, 10F) veterinary students (mean age = 24) at pre-exposureand after 20 weeks of formaldehyde exposure in anatomy class(approximately 4hrs/day, 4 days/week) and from 13 (5M, 8F)age-matched controls. Formaldehyde exposures (range 0.15-2.15ppm) of the veterinary students were monitored withformaldehyde-specific badges (3M). Histopathology of thesensory epithelium (i.e, pseudostratified, hyperplasia, squamousmetaplasia and erosion) was evaluated. In preliminary findings,biopsies of 5 veterinary students (33.5%) showed an increase inerosion after post-exposure compared to their pre-exposurebiopsies. In comparison, just 2 control biopsies (15.4%) exhibitedan increase in erosion compared to their initial biopsies. Thedegree of inflammatory infiltration will be analyzed to determineif histopathological changes correlates with inflammation andformaldehyde exposure levels. We also collected chemosensorythresholds, nasal nitric oxide levels, nasal cytology and nasallavage fluids, which will allow us to examine correlations betweenpsychophysics and neuropathology/inflammation. Assessment ofnasal biopsies provides an opportunity into understanding howchanges at the cellular/tissue level can manifest into chemosensorydysfunctions after chemical exposure.#P258 Poster session VI: Chemosensory developmentand Psychophysics IFunctional and Inflammatory Consequences of VeterinaryGross Anatomy Lab Enrollment: Effects of Formaldehydeon ChemosensationRyan D. McDermott, Tamika L. Wilson, Kara J. Blacker,Christopher Maute, M. Hakan Ozdener, Pamela H. DaltonMonell Chemical Senses Center Philadelphia, PA, USAOccupational exposure to pollutants and other toxic substanceshas been associated with impairment in human chemosensoryfunction. Formaldehyde, a ubiquitous air contaminant that occursfrom natural as well as man-made sources, is known to haveadverse health effects, including upper airway irritation. Theobjective of this study was to evaluate the chemosensory impactof repetitive exposure to formaldehyde. The experimental cohortfor this research was veterinary students working in a grossanatomy laboratory. Individual formaldehyde exposure wasrecorded through the use of passive dosimeters worn whilestudents were in the laboratory. Chemosensory function wasevaluated using a standard battery of tests prior to and throughoutthe duration of the three month exposure. Tests included odoridentification test along with odor detection thresholds forformalin, PEA, and l-carvone. Lateralization (irritation)thresholds were collected for formalin and a control irritant, n-butanol. Upper airway inflammation was evaluated using nasalnitric oxide (nNO) concentrations and analysis of inflammatorymediators from nasal lavage. All results were compared to a nonexposedcontrol group matched on age and gender. Exposureassociatedincreases in inflammatory biomarkers from nasal lavagefluid and nNO were correlated with significant alterations inchemosensory performance. Although the changes in theseyoung, healthy participants are likely reversible, these resultsemphasize the need for continued monitoring of individuals withlong-term employment in occupations where these types ofexposures will be incurred.#P259 Poster session VI: Chemosensory developmentand Psychophysics IDevelopment and Evaluation of the Monell OdorIdentification Task for the NIH ToolboxChristopher Maute 1 , Sara Lehmann 1 , Carly Jornlin 2 , WilliamParkes 2 , Christopher Grindle 2 , James S. Reilly 2 , AllisonSteinmeyer 1 , Jill Hersh 1 , Julie A. Mennella 1 , Pamela H. Dalton 11Monell Center Philadelphia, PA, USA, 2 Nemours/Alfred I.duPont Hospital for Children Wilmington, DE, USAThe National Institutes of Health (NIH) Toolbox initiative seeksto assemble brief, comprehensive assessment tools that will beuseful to clinicians and researchers in a variety of settings, with aparticular emphasis on measuring outcomes in longitudinalepidemiologic studies and prevention or intervention trials acrossthe lifespan. Monell’s involvement in the NIH Toolbox is todevelop tools to assess olfactory functioning in individualsbetween the ages of 3 and 85 years. We reported here on thedevelopment and preliminary analysis of the Monell OdorIdentification Task that was designed to be sensitive to thecognitive limitations of children. We tested 368 subjects who werebetween the ages of 3 and 17 years; 186 were tested at the MonellCenter and 182 at Nemours/A.I. DuPont Hospital. Subjects werepresented with 6 cards, each of which was affixed with a scratch-P O S T E R SAbstracts | 107