title: Bretylium tosylate enhances salt taste.
abstract: Bretylium tosylate (BT), an antifibrillary drug, was found to potentiate the taste of NaCl and LiCl in both humans and rats. Application of 1 mM BT (pH 6.3) to the human tongue statistically potentiated the taste of 0.2 M NaCl and 0.2 M LiCl by 33.5% and 12.5% respectively. Electrophysiological taste responses from nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) in rat for both hyposmotic and hyperosmotic concentrations of NaCl and 0.1 M LiCl were also increased by 30 to 40% after application of 1 mM BT. This potentiation induced by BT was reduced by amiloride in both humans and rats. Furthermore, amiloride became ineffective in inhibiting taste responses to NaCl in the presence of BT.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000584:Amiloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D001949:Bretylium Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001950:Bretylium Tosylate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D011601:Psychophysics; D012492:Salts; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects*; D013650:Taste Buds / Q000187:drug effects*; D014508:Urea / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D001949:Bretylium Compounds; D012492:Salts; D001950:Bretylium Tosylate; D000584:Amiloride; D014508:Urea