TY - JOUR
T1 - Long-term zinc deficiency decreases taste sensitivity in rats
AU - Goto, Tomoko
AU - Komai, Michio
AU - Suzuki, Hitoshi
AU - Furukawa, Yuji
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2001
Y1 - 2001
N2 - The effects of zinc deficiency on taste sensitivity were examined in rats by recording the electrophysiological responses of the chorda tympani (CT) nerve and by use of a preference test. Male 4-wk-old Sprague-Dawley rats were given free access to a diet containing 2.2 (zinc-deficient), 4.1 (low zinc) or 33.7 (zinc-sufficient) mg zinc/kg diet. A fourth group was pair-fed the zinc-sufficient diet (with respect to zinc-deficient rats). A two-bottle preference test using 0.15 mol/L NaCl and water revealed that NaCl preference was greater in the zinc-deficient and low zinc groups than in the control groups (zinc-sufficient and pair-fed) after 4 d of feeding. In the case of quinine hydrochloride solution (0.01 mmol/L), the preference was greater in zinc-deficient rats than in the other groups after 9 d, and the low zinc rats never showed a preference. Electrophysiological recording indicated that in the zinc-deficient rats, the CT nerve response to 0.20 mol/L NaCl was significantly less than that in the control rats after 21 d of feeding. In the low zinc rats, this response was significantly less than in the control rats after 35 d. The responses to quinine hydrochloride (0.02 mol/L), L-glutamic acid, HCl (0.01 mol/L) and NH4Cl (0.25 mol/L) in the zinc-deficient rats were not significantly reduced until d 42. These findings suggest that long-term zinc deficiency decreases taste sensitivity at the level of the CT nerve and that the change in NaCl preference due to zinc deficiency occurs before any change in NaCl taste sensitivity.
AB - The effects of zinc deficiency on taste sensitivity were examined in rats by recording the electrophysiological responses of the chorda tympani (CT) nerve and by use of a preference test. Male 4-wk-old Sprague-Dawley rats were given free access to a diet containing 2.2 (zinc-deficient), 4.1 (low zinc) or 33.7 (zinc-sufficient) mg zinc/kg diet. A fourth group was pair-fed the zinc-sufficient diet (with respect to zinc-deficient rats). A two-bottle preference test using 0.15 mol/L NaCl and water revealed that NaCl preference was greater in the zinc-deficient and low zinc groups than in the control groups (zinc-sufficient and pair-fed) after 4 d of feeding. In the case of quinine hydrochloride solution (0.01 mmol/L), the preference was greater in zinc-deficient rats than in the other groups after 9 d, and the low zinc rats never showed a preference. Electrophysiological recording indicated that in the zinc-deficient rats, the CT nerve response to 0.20 mol/L NaCl was significantly less than that in the control rats after 21 d of feeding. In the low zinc rats, this response was significantly less than in the control rats after 35 d. The responses to quinine hydrochloride (0.02 mol/L), L-glutamic acid, HCl (0.01 mol/L) and NH4Cl (0.25 mol/L) in the zinc-deficient rats were not significantly reduced until d 42. These findings suggest that long-term zinc deficiency decreases taste sensitivity at the level of the CT nerve and that the change in NaCl preference due to zinc deficiency occurs before any change in NaCl taste sensitivity.
KW - Chorda tympani nerve
KW - NaCl preference
KW - Rats
KW - Taste abnormality
KW - Zinc deficiency
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U2 - 10.1093/jn/131.2.305
DO - 10.1093/jn/131.2.305
M3 - Article
C2 - 11160551
AN - SCOPUS:0035152974
VL - 131
SP - 305
EP - 310
JO - Journal of Nutrition
JF - Journal of Nutrition
SN - 0022-3166
IS - 2
ER -