A quantitative analysis of isotope concentration profiles and rapid transport velocities in the C‐fibers of the garfish olfactory nerve

Abstract

In the olfactory nerve of the long‐nosed garfish (Lepisosteus osseus), unusually well‐defined isotope concentration distributions can be established with the rapid transport process. Transport velocities of two profile loci can be accurately described and a quantitative profile analysis is possible after profile normalization. Results from such studies indicate that: (1) peak amplitudes decrease exponentially as a function of distance from the olfactory mucosa according to the equation p = 2130 exp (– 0.109x); (2) the wavefront base and the peak apex loci move at rates of 221 ± 2 and 201 ± 4 mm/day, respectively (at 23°C), revealing a peak dispersion or broadening during transport; (3) the broadening is asymmetric with material shifting to the rear of the peak; (4) plateau regions are established behind the peak with material deposited by the peak; (5) only 20% of the total radioactivity in a cut nerve reaches the nerve terminals in the rapid transport peak while 80% is deposited along the axon; (6) profile areas from cut nerves decrease and lose 15% of their activity in 20 hr, while intact nerve profiles increase 10% in 16 hr due to continued somal contribution to the profile; (7) the displacement of the wavefront base (WFB) and peak apex (PA) profile loci can be described by the functions (8) transport velocities are linear functions of temperature between 10 and 25°C and increase 370% in that range. A linear extrapolation of the WFB and PA functions to 37°C yields 410 and 377 mm/day, respectively.