Partial depletion of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra impairs olfaction and alters neural activity in the olfactory bulb

Olfactory dysfunction is a major non-motor symptom that appears during the early stages of Parkinson’s Disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). Depletion of SN dopaminergic neurons by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) is widely used as a model for PD and ultimately results in motor deficits. However, it is largely unknown whether olfactory behavior and, more importantly, neural activity in the olfactory bulb (OB) are impaired prior to the appearance of motor deficits. We partially depleted the SN dopaminergic population in mice by injection of 6-OHDA. Seven days after injection of 6-OHDA, motor ability was unchanged but olfactory-driven behaviors were significantly impaired. Injection of 6-OHDA into the SN significantly increased the power of the ongoing local field potential in the OB for all frequency bands, and decreased odor-evoked excitatory beta responses and inhibitory high-gamma responses. Moreover, 6-OHDA treatment led to increased odor-evoked calcium responses in the mitral cells in the OB of awake mice. These data suggest that the olfactory deficits caused by depletion of the SN dopaminergic population are likely due to abnormal hyperactivity of the mitral cells in the OB.