title: Age-related changes in mouse taste bud morphology, hormone expression, and taste responsivity.
abstract: Normal aging is a complex process that affects every organ system in the body, including the taste system. Thus, we investigated the effects of the normal aging process on taste bud morphology, function, and taste responsivity in male mice at 2, 10, and 18 months of age. The 18-month-old animals demonstrated a significant reduction in taste bud size and number of taste cells per bud compared with the 2- and 10-month-old animals. The 18-month-old animals exhibited a significant reduction of protein gene product 9.5 and sonic hedgehog immunoreactivity (taste cell markers). The number of taste cells expressing the sweet taste receptor subunit, T1R3, and the sweet taste modulating hormone, glucagon-like peptide-1, were reduced in the 18-month-old mice. Concordant with taste cell alterations, the 18-month-old animals demonstrated reduced sweet taste responsivity compared with the younger animals and the other major taste modalities (salty, sour, and bitter) remained intact.
authors: Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, Diabetes Section, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
authors: Yu-Kyong
authors: YK
authors: Shin
authors: Wei-na
authors: WN
authors: Cong
authors: Huan
authors: H
authors: Cai
authors: Wook
authors: W
authors: Kim
authors: Stuart
authors: S
authors: Maudsley
authors: Josephine M
authors: JM
authors: Egan
authors: Bronwen
authors: B
authors: Martin
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D052216:Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 / Q000032:analysis; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000032:analysis; D013649:Taste; D013650:Taste Buds / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; C465570:Shh protein, mouse; C431926:taste receptors, type 1; D052216:Glucagon-Like Peptide 1