Responsiveness of the olfactory receptor cells in dog to some odors.

A preparation has been developed in the dog which allows recording the electrical activity from an olfactory nerve twig containing the axons of a small group of olfactory receptor cells. The dog's response to n-pentyl acetate is vigorous and stable, like that of other air-breathing animals. The dog's response magnitude dependence on the nasal flow rate was noticeable for n-pentyl acetates, but not so great as for n-butyric acid. The response to n-butyric acid strongly depends on the nasal flow. The start of the nasal air flow caused an increase of neural activity, which is called flow response. The results show that the nasal flow rate is a very important factor which determines the response to odors. Methyl p-hydroxybenzoate is known as a dog's pheromone, however, this odor caused the feeble response in the electrical activity of the dog's olfactory receptor cells. The differences may be dependent on several factors.