1 1 Symposium Chemosensory Receptors Satellite DEVELOPMENT ...

121 Poster Chemosensory Coding and ClinicalMULTIMODAL SENSORY STIMULATION OF THE NASALMUCOSA WITH NICOTINE—FMRI STUDYAlbrecht J. 1 , Kopietz R. 1 , Linn J. 1 , Sakar V. 1 , Anzinger A. 1 , SchrederT. 1 , Kobal G. 2 , Wiesmann M. 1 1 Dept. of Neuroradiology, University ofMunich, Munich, Germany; 2 Sensory Research R&T, Philip MorrisUSA Inc., Richmond, VAObjectives: No FMRI data are available on cortical activationsinduced by the effects of nicotine on the olfactory system. If applied tothe nasal mucosa in low concentration, nicotine evokes odoroussensations by activation of olfactory receptors. At higherconcentrations, trigeminal fibers are activated as well leading to burningor even stinging sensations. The aim of this study was to investigatebrain areas activated by nasal stimulation with nicotine at lowsuprathreshold olfactory concentrations. Methods: Nicotine wasapplied at suprathreshold concentration in 19 healthy subjects using aconstant-flow olfactometer (block-design) Functional images wereacquired using a 1.5T MRI scanner. Results and Conclusions: Wefound activation of brain areas known to be involved followingolfactory stimulation of the nasal mucosa (piriform cortex, orbitofrontalcortex, insula), as well as areas specific to the processing of emotions(amygdala, cingulum) and areas related to attention and memory(middle frontal gyri, superior parietal lobule). We also found activationsin areas specific to the processing of painful and aversive stimuli(ventroposterolateral thalamus, S2) indicating that nicotine is amultimodal stimulus which affects both olfactory and somatosensoryareas. In summary, even at low concentrations nicotine activates boththe olfactory and the trigeminal system. Research described in thisabstract was supported by Philip Morris USA Inc.122 Poster Chemosensory Coding and ClinicalTOKI-SHAKUYAKU-SAN IN THE TREATMENT OFSENSORINEURAL SMELL DYSFUNCTIONTsukatani T. 1 , Miwa T. 1 , Ikeno S. 1 , Yagi S. 1 , Furukawa M. 11 Otorhinolaryngology, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa,JapanSteroid therapy is used in the treatment of sensorineural smelldysfunction such as viral infection of upper respiratory tract, howeverits efficacy is still considered controversial. Toki-shakuyaku-san (TSS)(Tsumura & Co., Tokyo, Japan), a Chinese herbal medicine, hasrecently been reported as effect in the treatment of Alzhimer´sdementia. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical efficacyof TSS with local steroid therapy for sensorineural smell dysfunction.TSS was prescribed for 40 patients (28 with post viral infection and 12with head trauma) from 1998 to 2004. A group of 60 patients (46 withpost viral infection and 14 with head trauma) who received local steroidtherapy from 1993 to 1997 served as controls. For assessment ofolfactory function, T&T olfactometry was employed before and aftertreatment. Of the 28 post viral infections treated by TSS, 19 cases(67.9%) recovered completely or partially. This was significantly betterthan the efficacy for local steroid therapy (43.5%). For the head traumagroup, there was no significant difference between the efficacy of TSS(41.7%) and local steroid therapy (28.6%). Since local steroid therapyproduces side effects such as ACTH suppression and glucoseintolerance and TSS did not show any serious side effects, TSS mayprove to be a preferred therapy for smell dysfunction following viralinfection.123 Poster Chemosensory Coding and ClinicalTHE POTENTIAL EFFECT OF AMBIENT ARSENIC INDRINKING WATER ON ODOR IDENTIFICATION IN ANAGRICULTURAL SAMPLE IN INNER MONGOLIAPrah J.D. 1 , Mumford J. 2 , Li Y. 3 , Xia Y. 3 , Liu Y. 3 , Zhang F. 4 , Le X. 51 U.S. EPA, Chapel Hill, NC; 2 Human Studies Division, US EPA, ChapelHill, NC; 3 Inner Mongolia Center for Endemic Disease Control andResearch, Huhhot, Inner Mongolia, China; 4 Ba Men Anti-epidemicStation, Lin He, Inner Mongolia, China; 5 University of Alberta,Edmonton, Manitoba, CanadaThere is evidence that exposure to arsenic (As) can have neuropathicand neurosensory effects in humans. It is unknown if As affects thesense of smell. To determine if odor identification is impaired by Asexposure in drinking water, 308 persons in Inner Mongolia were giventhe Brief Smell Identification Test (BSIT). The mean score was 7.398.The age range was 10-61.The subjects were primarily farmers whodrink well water. The mean As concentration in drinking water was126.0 ìg/L( range 0.34 to 825.7). The drinking water standard in theUSA is 10 ìg/L. This resulted in mean urinary As2O3, As2O5,dimethylarsinic acid V (DMAV), and monomethylarsonic acid V(MMAV) levels of 53.75, 5.8, 201, and 53.4 ìg/L , respectively.Regression analyses of the BSIT score vs arsenic species indicates asignificant relationship between urinary As species and odoridentification. The p-values for the species are as: As2O3 p = 0.007;As2O5 p = 0.139; MMAV p = 0.016; DMAV p = 0.017. The regressionwith water As was not significant (p = 0.237). Thus, body burden is abetter predictor of effect than water concentration. It is possible that thevariability in quantity of water consumed which would alter the totaldose or that some persons metabolize inorganic As into more toxicmethylated species. The mechanism of the toxicity may reside in itschemotherapeutic usage. As2O3 is used to treat acute myeloid leukemiaand its efficacy is thought act by causing incomplete cytodifferentiationand subsequently inducing apoptosis. Neurogenesis of olfactoryreceptor cells may be similarly impaired by As compounds. This is anabstract of a proposed presentation and does not reflect EPA policy.Funded by EPA124 Poster Chemosensory Coding and ClinicalHETEROSEXUAL FEMALES, BUT NOT LESBIANS,SENSITIZE TO LOW LEVELS OF ODORANTWysocki C. 1 , Sergeant M. 2 , Louie J. 1 1 Monell Chemical Senses Center,Philadelphia, PA; 2 Division of Psychology, Nottingham TrentUniversity, Nottingham, United KingdomSexual orientation influences human olfaction (Martins et al, 2005,Psych. Sci.). Here we report that lesbians, like heterosexual males, donot demonstrate a gender-typical process of olfactory sensitization tolow level odorants previously reported for women, but not men (Daltonet al., 2002, Nat. Neurosci.). This finding suggests that within-gendervariation in sensitization among women may not be fully explained bychanges in levels of activational hormones.31