title: Stimulation of the gerbil's gustatory receptors by saccharin.
abstract: The gustatory responses from the chorda tympani nerve of the Mongolian gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus, were tested with saccharin and some closely related compounds. Only two compounds, saccharin and 6-chlorosaccharin, stimulated the gerbil's taste receptors to any degree and in the same order in which they are sweet to man, saccharin greater than 5-chlorosaccharin. Those compounds which are tasteless to man did not stimulate and include N-methyl saccharin, phthalimide, and O-sulfobenzoic acid. These nonstimulating derivatives did not inhibit the saccharin electrophysiological response. The saccharin taste response pH optimum is from 5 to 8. At pH 7 and 8, saccharin is fully ionized and is binding to the receptor site by an anionic mechanism. Kinetic plots of the taste response at pH 7 indicate that saccharin is forming 1:1 complexes with it. In addition, mixtures of saccharin and sucrose stimulate in such a manner as to suggest that they are interacting at different receptor sites.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002814:Chorda Tympani Nerve / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000187:drug effects; D005849:Gerbillinae; D012439:Saccharin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013395:Sucrose / Q000494:pharmacology; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects; D013650:Taste Buds / Q000187:drug effects*; D014059:Tongue / Q000294:innervation
chemical_list: D013395:Sucrose; D012439:Saccharin