Functions of human olfactory mucus and age-dependent changes.
Sci Rep
; 13(1): 971, 2023 01 18.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36653421
ABSTRACT
Odorants are detected by olfactory sensory neurons, which are covered by olfactory mucus. Despite the existence of studies on olfactory mucus, its constituents, functions, and interindividual variability remain poorly understood. Here, we describe a human study that combined the collection of olfactory mucus and olfactory psychophysical tests. Our analyses revealed that olfactory mucus contains high concentrations of solutes, such as total proteins, inorganic elements, and molecules for xenobiotic metabolism. The high concentrations result in a capacity to capture or metabolize a specific repertoire of odorants. We provide evidence that odorant metabolism modifies our sense of smell. Finally, the amount of olfactory mucus decreases in an age-dependent manner. A follow-up experiment recapitulated the importance of the amount of mucus in the sensitive detection of odorants by their receptors. These findings provide a comprehensive picture of the molecular processes in olfactory mucus and propose a potential cause of olfactory decline.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Receptors, Odorant
/
Olfactory Receptor Neurons
Limits:
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
Sci Rep
Year:
2023
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Japan