Objective Method for Registration of the Sniffing Component of the Search Behavior in Rabbits Subjected to Food Deprivation

Kromin, A. A.; Ignatova, Ju. P.

doi:10.1007/s10517-014-2389-0

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…A good sense of smell is even present in newborn rabbits, allowing them to find the nipples of its mother with closed eyes (Schaal et al, ). Rabbits wiggle their noses often, which not only helps to draw air in to fill the lungs, but also help them to differentiate the tiny trace of chemical molecules or pheromones in the air to detect danger, identify friends or potential mates (Sobel et al, ; Kromin and Ignatova, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anatomical Details of the Rabbit Nasal Passages and Their Implications in Breathing, Air Conditioning, and Olfaction

April

Kim

et al. 2016

The Anatomical Record

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The rabbit is commonly used as a laboratory animal for inhalation toxicology tests and detail knowledge of the rabbit airway morphometry is needed for outcome analysis or theoretical modeling. The objective of this study is to quantify the morphometric dimension of the nasal airway of a New Zealand white rabbit and to relate the morphology and functions through analytical and computational methods. Images of high-resolution MRI scans of the rabbit were processed to measure the axial distribution of the cross-sectional areas, perimeter, and complexity level. The lateral recess, which has functions other than respiration or olfaction, was isolated from the nasal airway and its dimension was quantified separately. A low Reynolds number turbulence model was implemented to simulate the airflow, heat transfer, vapor transport, and wall shear stress. Results of this study provide detailed morphological information of the rabbit that can be used in the studies of olfaction, inhalation toxicology, drug delivery, and physiology-based pharmacokinetics modeling. For the first time, we reported a spiral nasal vestibule that splits into three paths leading to the dorsal meatus, maxilloturbinate, and ventral meatus, respectively. Both non-dimensional functional analysis and CFD simulations suggested that the airflow in the rabbit nose is laminar and the unsteady effect is only significantly during sniffing. Due to the large surface-to-volume ratio, the maxilloturbinate is highly effective in warming and moistening the inhaled air to body conditions. The unique anatomical structure and respiratory airflow pattern may have important implications for designing new odorant detectors or electronic noses.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%