The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology

The Korean Society of Pharmacology (대한약리학회)
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Influences of ethanol and temperature on sucrose-evoked response of gustatory neurons in the hamster solitary nucleus

  • Li, Cheng-Shu (Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale) ;
  • Chung, Ki-Myung (Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, College of Dentistry and Research Institute of Oral Science, Gangneung-Wonju National University) ;
  • Kim, Kyung-Nyun (Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, College of Dentistry and Research Institute of Oral Science, Gangneung-Wonju National University) ;
  • Cho, Young-Kyung (Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, College of Dentistry and Research Institute of Oral Science, Gangneung-Wonju National University)
  • Received : 2021.08.03
  • Accepted : 2021.09.13
  • Published : 2021.11.01
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Abstract

Taste-responsive neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NST), the first gustatory nucleus, often respond to thermal or mechanical stimulation. Alcohol, not a typical taste modality, is a rewarding stimulus. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of ethanol (EtOH) and/or temperature as stimuli to the tongue on the activity of taste-responsive neurons in hamster NST. In the first set of experiments, we recorded the activity of 113 gustatory NST neurons in urethane-anesthetized hamsters and evaluated responses to four basic taste stimuli, 25% EtOH, and 40℃ and 4℃ distilled water (dH2O). Sixty cells responded to 25% EtOH, with most of them also being sucrose sensitive. The response to 25% EtOH was significantly correlated with the sucrose-evoked response. A significant correlation was also observed between sucrose- and 40℃ dH2O- and between 25% EtOH- and 40℃ dH2O-evoked firings. In a subset of the cells, we evaluated neuronal activities in response to a series of EtOH concentrations, alone and in combination with 32 mM sucrose (EtOH/Suc) at room temperature (RT, 22℃-23℃), 40℃, and 4℃. Neuronal responses to EtOH at RT and 40℃ increased as the concentrations increased. The firing rates to EtOH/Suc were greater than those to EtOH or sucrose alone. The responses were enhanced when solutions were applied at 40℃ but diminished at 4℃. In summary, EtOH activates most sucrose-responsive NST gustatory cells, and the concomitant presence of sucrose or warm temperatures enhance this response. Our findings may contribute to elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying appetitive alcohol consumption.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This study was in part supported by Gangneung-Wonju National University.

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