Denervation in the primary olfactory pathway of mice. II. Effects on carnosine and other amine compounds.

Carnosine (beta-alanyl-histidine) is present in the olfactory bulb and olfactory eqithelium of mice and rats at 1-2 nmole/mg tissue. Peripheral deafferentation or central denervation causes a rapid, selective decrease of this depeptide from the reciprocal portion of the primary olfactory pathway. These data demonstrate the localization of carnosine within the primary olfactory chemoreceptor neurons and suggest a possible role for this compound in neural transmission.