Researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine have identified proteins and cells regulating the sneeze reflex in mice. While working on the cellular pathways of the sneeze reflex, the team found that a neuronal population postsynaptic to nasal sensory neurons mediates sneezing. Previous studies have reported a sneeze-evoking region in both cat and human brainstems, corresponding anatomically to the central recipient zone of nasal sensory neurons. In this study, a mouse model was established to identify the nerve cell signaling for sneezing, the mice were exposed to the droplets of aerosols containing histamine or capsaicin , a pungent compound made from chili peppers.
Key findings of the study Neuropeptides molecules transmit sneeze signals to the nerve cells. Neuromedin B (NMB) molecule is required for sneezing. The sneezing was blocked on the elimination of NMB from…
