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Background <p>African grasscutters are ecologically significant agricultural pests and economically valuable ‘microlivestock’ in West Africa. In captivity, optimal management of grasscutters is constrained by a scarcity of information on their adaptive biology, particularly with respect to sensory systems across lifespan. The olfactory system, the epitome of communication in most mammals, plays an important role in regulating social, foraging and reproductive behaviors. As such, we analyzed the morphology and morphometry of the olfactory mucosa, in parallel with olfactory function (using buried food-seeking test), in male grasscutters aged 4.0–4.5 years (mid adults; MA), 5.0–5.5 years (older adults; OA) and 7.0–8.0 years (elderly; EL), with the data on olfactory mucosal morphometry being compared with that reported earlier for young adult (YA) grasscutters.</p> Results <p>In OA and EL, axon bundles of olfactory receptor neurons showed degenerative changes characterized by shrinkage, detachment of their surrounding fibroblastic sheath and loss of fascicle ensheathment. Degenerative loss of olfactory receptor neuron cilia occurred in OA but was more conspicuous in EL. Compared with YA from a previous study, respective values for olfactory epithelium thickness, axon bundle diameter, olfactory receptor neuron density, and cilia number/ olfactory receptor neuron were highest in MA and least different in EL. Volume fraction increments were significant for bundles in MA and OA, Bowman’s glands in MA and EL, and blood vessels in EL. Relative to YA, olfactory sensitivity decreased significantly in EL.</p> Conclusion <p>These findings show that aging in African grasscutters is accompanied by loss of cytoarchitectural integrity within the olfactory mucosa, which negatively impacts olfaction vis-à vis adaptive physiological processes.</p>

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Qualitative, quantitative and functional analysis of the olfactory mucosa in aging African grasscutters (Thryonomys swinderianus, Temminck, 1827)

  • 期刊论文

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月7日

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  • Boniface M. Kavoi,
  • Kwadwo Y. Boateng

摘要

Background

African grasscutters are ecologically significant agricultural pests and economically valuable ‘microlivestock’ in West Africa. In captivity, optimal management of grasscutters is constrained by a scarcity of information on their adaptive biology, particularly with respect to sensory systems across lifespan. The olfactory system, the epitome of communication in most mammals, plays an important role in regulating social, foraging and reproductive behaviors. As such, we analyzed the morphology and morphometry of the olfactory mucosa, in parallel with olfactory function (using buried food-seeking test), in male grasscutters aged 4.0–4.5 years (mid adults; MA), 5.0–5.5 years (older adults; OA) and 7.0–8.0 years (elderly; EL), with the data on olfactory mucosal morphometry being compared with that reported earlier for young adult (YA) grasscutters.

Results

In OA and EL, axon bundles of olfactory receptor neurons showed degenerative changes characterized by shrinkage, detachment of their surrounding fibroblastic sheath and loss of fascicle ensheathment. Degenerative loss of olfactory receptor neuron cilia occurred in OA but was more conspicuous in EL. Compared with YA from a previous study, respective values for olfactory epithelium thickness, axon bundle diameter, olfactory receptor neuron density, and cilia number/ olfactory receptor neuron were highest in MA and least different in EL. Volume fraction increments were significant for bundles in MA and OA, Bowman’s glands in MA and EL, and blood vessels in EL. Relative to YA, olfactory sensitivity decreased significantly in EL.

Conclusion

These findings show that aging in African grasscutters is accompanied by loss of cytoarchitectural integrity within the olfactory mucosa, which negatively impacts olfaction vis-à vis adaptive physiological processes.