Transection of the rat olfactory nerve increases glial fibrillary acidic protein immunoreactivity from the olfactory bulb to the piriform cortex.

Astrocytic glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivity in response to retrograde changes of motoneurons after axotomy has been the subject of a number of reports. In contrast, this study examined the astrocytic GFAP immunoreactivity in response to axotomy in a sensory system, the adult rat olfactory system. The purpose of this study was to determine, by immunolabeling GFAP, the extent and transience of astrocytic reactivity in the olfactory system. Unilateral transection of the olfactory nerve fascicles was performed intracranially at the level of the cribriform plate. Rats were allowed to survive from 24 hours to 1 month after axotomy. GFAP immunolabeling was examined throughout the rat olfactory system using the peroxidase-anti-peroxidase method. After axotomy, a transient increase occurred in the astrocytic GFAP immunoreactivity in the ipsilateral olfactory system. The greatest enhancement of GFAP immunoreactivity in the olfactory system occurred at 48 hours post-axotomy. Increased GFAP immunoreactivity occurred not only along the axons and synaptic endings of the injured primary olfactory neurons, but also along the dendrites, cell bodies, axons, and synaptic endings of the secondary sensory neurons. The increased GFAP immunoreactivity was specifically associated with the anatomical distribution pathways of the primary and secondary olfactory neurons. Increased GFAP immunoreactivity was not altered until 14 days post-axotomy. At 1 month post-axotomy, GFAP immunoreactivity returned to control levels. The time course and transience of increased GFAP immunoreactivity closely correlates with the time course of rat primary olfactory neuronal degeneration and regeneration after axotomy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)