Time course of saline-induced recovery of the gustatory system in sodium-restricted rats
1996
Stewart, R.E. | Hill, D.L.
Placing pregnant rats on a Na+-restricted diet (0.03% NaCl) results in greatly reduced chorda tympani nerve responses to Na+ stimuli in the offspring. Normal responses can be permanently restored by providing offspring one-time access to saline. We tested whether saline-induced recovery occurs in taste receptor cells present at the time of saline intake. Chorda tympani responses were recorded 2 h, 6 h, 24 h, 10 days, and 20 days after saline ingestion. Chorda tympani Na+ responses from Na+-restricted rats at 2 h, 6 h, 24 h, and 10 days after saline intake were comparable to responses from control Na+-restricted rats. Twenty days after saline consumption, responses to Na+ were significantly elevated compared with control Na+-restricted rats. The results indicate that extant taste receptor cells are not substantially influenced by the saline ingestion. Instead, the delayed recovery suggests that taste receptor stem cells exclusively are influenced by saline intake.
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