Effects of Olfactory Bulb Resection Upon the Hair Waves in Mice

Abstract

Bilateral and unilateral resection of the olfactory bulbs was performed in groups of male C3H/Ep mice while the controls were sham-operated. All the animals were clipped along the back from the neck to the base of the tail. The advance of the hair waves was observed at weekly intervals and the denuded area covered by hair measured for 48 days. The animals were clipped again and observed in the same way during a 77 day period, at the end of which a complete autopsy was performed and the endocrine organs were weighed. The rate of advance of the hair waves was slower in the animals with bilateral resection of the olfactory bulbs, intermediate in those with unilateral resection and faster in the sham-operated controls in both experimental periods. There was atrophy of the adrenals, testicles, pituitary, thyroid and thymus in the animals with olfactory bulb removal.