title: Innervation in human taste buds and its decrease in Alzheimer's disease patients.
abstract: The innervation in human taste buds of the foliate and circumvallate papillae was studied immunohistochemically using several neuronal markers in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and their control (ADC) patients. Antisera to protein gene product 9.5 (PGP 9.5), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopamine-beta hydroxylase (DbetaH) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) were used in immunofluorescence and streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase complex studies. The antiserum to PGP 9.5 stained a greater number of intragemmal nerve fibers in taste buds than that of other antisera. PGP 9.5 immunoreactivity was strictly localized in the nerve fibers, whereas NSE immunoreactivity was observed not only in the nerve fibers, but also in taste bud cells. Intragemmal TH- and DbetaH-immunoreactive nerve fibers were not identified in taste buds. Only a few intragemmal nerve fibers immunoreactive for anti-CGRP antiserum were observe in a small number of taste buds. Furthermore, quantitive analysis in AD and ADC patients demonstrated that the mean number of PGP 9.5-immunoreactive intragemmal nerve fibers in taste buds of the foliate and circumvallate papillae decreased significantly in AD patients. These results indicated that PGP 9.5 is a most suitable molecular marker for the demonstration of the extrinsic innervation in human taste buds, and that the decreased innervation may account partially for the decrement in chemosensory capacity in AD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamagishi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takami
authors.forename: T V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Getchell
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000032:analysis; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000032:analysis; D013650:Taste Buds / Q000473:pathology*; D013869:Thiolester Hydrolases / Q000032:analysis; D014059:Tongue / Q000294:innervation*; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000032:analysis; D043222:Ubiquitin Thiolesterase
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase; D013869:Thiolester Hydrolases; D043222:Ubiquitin Thiolesterase; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide