Repeated gestational exposure to diesel engine exhaust affects the fetal olfactory system and alters olfactory-based behavior in rabbit offspring

Effects of DE exposure on the olfactory mucosa. a to d. Micrograph of an olfactory mucosa from control (a, c) and exposed (b, d) GD28 fetuses. The histological coloration reveals the anatomical alterations of the olfactory mucosa (b) and sub-mucosa (d) in exposed GD28 fetuses, compared to control GD28 fetuses (a and c, respectively). Scale bar？=？25？μm. e to h. Electron micrograph of dendritic knobs of an olfactory sensory neuron and of an olfactory axon bundle from control (e and g) or exposed (f and h) GD28 fetuses. Note the decrease of cell organelles in the dendrite knobs of the OSN in exposed GD28 fetuses (f), compared to control GD28 fetuses (e). The white arrows indicate axonal hypertrophy of the olfactory axons of exposed fetuses (h), not observed in control fetuses (g). Note the condensation and marginalization of the chromatin of the ensheating cells of exposed fetuses when compared to controls. Scale bar？=？5？μm. bv？=？blood vessels; nc: nasal cavity; dk？=？dendritic knok; oc？=？olfactory cilia; nu？=？nucleus, is？=？intercellular spac