title: Possible involvement of undissociated acid molecules in the acid response of the chorda tympani nerve of the rat.
abstract: To test whether undissociated acid is capable of exciting the chorda tympani nerves in rats, we have used buffered acid solutions as taste stimuli. These solutions were prepared by adding alkali to weak acids, such as acetic acid, so that the proportion of undissociated and dissociated acids was varied whereas keeping the total acid concentration constant. When acetic acid solutions, adjusted to wide ranges of pH by NaOH, were applied to the tongue, the response magnitude of the chorda tympani nerves was not varied systematically with pH changes. However, if the sodium effect was eliminated by amiloride or replacement of cation by potassium or Tris[hydroxymethyl]aminomethane; NH(2)C(CH(2)OH)(3) (Tris-base), the chorda tympani response was reduced systematically as pH increased. Similar results were obtained with citric acid and ascorbic acid. This pH-dependent change in taste nerve response to acid cannot be solely attributed to the proton gradient because the response magnitude induced by hydrogen itself, which was estimated from responses to strong acids, was much smaller than that by equi-pH acetic acid ( approximately 85%). Thus we cannot explain the pH-dependent responses of the chorda tympani nerves to weak acids unless effects of undissociated acid molecules are postulated. It is therefore concluded that undissociated acids in weak acid solutions can be a stimulant to taste receptor cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Physiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Gifu University, Gifu 501-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogiso
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tonosaki
mesh_terms: D019342:Acetic Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D000143:Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000584:Amiloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D002021:Buffers; D002814:Chorda Tympani Nerve / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D019343:Citric Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D004232:Diuretics / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006851:Hydrochloric Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D017942:Nitric Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012972:Sodium Hydroxide / Q000737:chemistry; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D013464:Sulfuric Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D014059:Tongue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation / Q000378:metabolism; D014325:Tromethamine / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000143:Acids; D002021:Buffers; D004232:Diuretics; D013464:Sulfuric Acids; D014325:Tromethamine; D019343:Citric Acid; D017942:Nitric Acid; D012972:Sodium Hydroxide; D000584:Amiloride; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D019342:Acetic Acid; D006851:Hydrochloric Acid