Water response of the frog olfactory epithelium as observed from the olfactory bulb.

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Abstract
The water response elicited by application of distilled water on the olfactory epithelium was recorded extracellularly from single olfactory bulb neurons. Characteristics of the water response in the frog [Rana catesbeiana] olfactory epithelium were examined in comparison with those of the water response in the gustatory and palatal organs. Effects of various electrolyte solutions on the generation of the water response were studied by dripping distilled water on the olfactory epithelium after adaptation to each of these electrolyte solutions. The number of olfactory bulb cells responding to distilled water increased with increasing the charge of the adapting cations and also with decreasing the size of the cations with a few exceptions. The magnitude of the water response increased with decreasing concentration of salt in the solution which was dripped after adaptation to the isotonic solution of the same salt. The water response was effectively depressed by an electrolyte solution but not by a non-electrolyte solution. An electrolyte also effectively depressed the water response which was produced after adaptation to an organic salt solution. The water response was blocked by treatment of the olfactory epithelium with uranyl ions which had a high affinity for phospholipids. A tentative hypothesis on the generating mechanism of the water response in the frog olfactory epithelium was presented.