title: Rapid changes in gustatory function induced by contralateral nerve injury and sodium depletion.
abstract: The combination of dietary sodium depletion and unilateral chorda tympani (CT) nerve section decreases sodium taste function in the intact CT nerve. However, functional changes have not been examined prior to day 4 postsectioning, even though degenerative and inflammatory responses are robust during that period. Rats received unilateral CT section and/or dietary sodium depletion, accomplished by 2 injections of furosemide and a sodium-restricted diet, on day 0. Surgical controls received sham nerve sectioning. At days 1, 2, 3, or 4, taste responses were recorded from the intact nerve. Functional changes were rapid and unexpected. At day 1 postsectioning, neural responses from the uninjured CT of both control-fed and sodium-depleted animals were reduced. By day 2, however, normal function was restored in control-fed rats, whereas functional deficits persisted in depleted animals. Sodium depletion alone also induced a transient decrease in sodium responses at days 2-3 after furosemide injection. These results demonstrate that distant neural injury can elicit gustatory plasticity regardless of the dietary environment, but normal responses can be restored. We suggest that neutrophils mediate the initial postinjury deficits in taste function, whereas macrophages promote the recovery of normal function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA 30912, USA.
authors.forename: Pamela Lea
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Wall
authors.forename: Lynnette Phillips
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: McCluskey
mesh_terms: D000584:Amiloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002814:Chorda Tympani Nerve / Q000502:physiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D003714:Denervation; D004039:Diet, Sodium-Restricted; D005260:Female; D005665:Furosemide; D008264:Macrophages / Q000502:physiology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000502:physiology; D011189:Potassium Chloride; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D012982:Sodium, Dietary / Q000378:metabolism*; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology*; D013650:Taste Buds / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D012982:Sodium, Dietary; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D011189:Potassium Chloride; D000584:Amiloride; D005665:Furosemide