ALBERT

Description: Nanoparticulate matter activates the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pathway in the respiratory system in a process involving the AhR nuclear translocator (ARNT) and cytochrome P450 family 1, member A1 (CYP1A1). We examined changes in AhR-related pathways following intranasal instillation of nanoparticulate matter in the olfactory bulb and cerebral cortex. Twice a day for 5 days per week for 1 week or 2 weeks, 8-week-old Sprague–Dawley rats were intranasally instilled with 10 µL nanoparticulate matter (nano group; n = 36). An equal volume of saline was intranasally instilled in control rats (n = 36). One week after intranasal instillation, olfactory function and Y-maze tests were performed. The expression levels of AhR in the olfactory bulb and temporal cortex were analyzed using western blotting and immunofluorescence assays. The expression levels of AhR, CYP1A1, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and five genes encoding cation transporters (ARNT, ATP7B, ATPB1, OCT1, and OCT2) in the olfactory bulb were analyzed using quantitative reverse transcription. The olfactory discrimination capability was reduced in the nano group compared with the control group. Proportional changes in the Y-maze test were not significantly different between the nano and control groups. AhR mRNA and protein expression in the olfactory bulb increased 1.71-fold (P