CellR4 2015; 3 (6): e1746

Central and peripheral lateral inhibitory effect of CO2 on sweet perception

Topic: Nutrition   Category:

Abstract

The gustatory system includes taste receptor cells organized in multicellular clusters and located within gustatory papillae. Taste cells, namely type I, II, and III cells, express specific receptors for different gustatory stimuli.

Type III cells secrete serotonin (5-HT), norepinephrine (NE) and GABA, that are inhibitory paracrine transmitters, acting on receptors on type II cells and exerting a negative feedback.

In this study we speculated whether the peripheral “lateral inhibition” mediated by type III taste cells onto type II taste cells, is present also at the central level between the areas activated in response to sweet and those in response to the carbonation.

Our data suggested that CO2 modulates sweetness perception, reducing the perception of sweetness with a stronger reduction of sucrose processing.

Furthermore, the gustatory system seems responsive to CO2, both at peripheral and central levels.

To cite this article

Central and peripheral lateral inhibitory effect of CO2 on sweet perception

CellR4 2015; 3 (6): e1746

Publication History

Published online: 09 Dec 2015