• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.37-43
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• 1991

The nerve impulse pattern of Chorda tympani(CT) of cat was tested with Monosodium glutamate(MSG) solutions as well as some basic taste substances applied on the tongue of cat. The effect of MSG applied in the tongue prior to the stimulation of other taste substances was also investigated. The response impulse frequency of CT of cat was changed by the kind and concentration of taste substances. The response to citric acid was the highest among the tested substances, NaCl, KCl and MSG showed similar responses. When different concentrations of MSG were applied on the tongue prior to other substances, the response to NaCl increased with the maximum response at the MSG concentration of 0.02 M. The response to sucrose tended to be reduced, but the response to citric acid was distinctly supressed by the previous MSG stimulation. These results were well consistent with the sensory evaluation on the effect of MSG to some basic taste substances. previously reported by the authors.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.313-321
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• 1987

To investigate whether the cervical sympathetics contains specific secretory fibers for the salivary glands, reflex salivation was evoked and the role of the sympathetics or the reflex was examined in ketamine-anesthetized cat. Stimulation of the central end of the glossopharyngeal nerve produced a copious secretion from the submaxillary gland and the response was not affected by the section of the cervical sympathetics or by the administration of phenoxybenzamine, whereas the response was abolished by severing the chorda tympani or by the administration of atropine. The salivary response was always associated with an increase in glandular blood flow. Both salivary and blood flow responses were decreased markedly by the superimposed stimulation of the cervical sympathetics or by the administration of norepinephrine. The decreased submaxillary blood flow always preceded the decrease in salivary flow on stimulation of the cervical sympathetics and the decreased blood flow recovered prior to the salivary flow upon cessation of the sympathetic stimulation. The inhibitory effects of the sympathetics and norepinephrine were completely abolished by the pretreatment with phenoxybenzamine. These results indicate that the glossopharyngeal nerve is one of the afferent limbs of the submaxillary salivary reflex and the chorda tympani is the only efferent limb of the reflex pathway. Thus, it is suggested that the cervical sympathetics does not contain the specific secretory fibers for the gland, but plays a role in inhibiting the reflex secretion by decreasing the blood flow to the gland.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.87-99
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• 1991

In order to elucidate whether capsaicin applied topically acts as a pain-producing subastance or as a tastant, neuronal activities of the chorda tympani nerve(CN), lingual nerve(LN), solitary tract nucleus(STN), and trigeminal nucleus(TGN) were recorded while thermal and taste stimuli, and capsaicin were being applied topically, and algesics intra-arterially to the tongue of cats anesthetized with ${\alpha}-chloralsoe$. In addition, the STN neurons were examined after wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase(WGA-HRP) was applied to the CN. The CN fibers responded to taste and thermal stimuli, algesics, and capsaicin. Responses to capsaicin were significantly correlated with those to taste and thermal stimuli. The LN fibers mainly responded to mechanical and thermal stimuli, algesics, and capsaicin. Responses to capsaicin were significantly correlated with those to algesics. The STN neurons responded to taste and thermal stiumli, algesics, and capsaicin. Responses to capsaicin were significantly correlated with those to taste and thermal stiumli in somewhat different fashion from those of the CN fibers. The TGN neurons mainly responded to mechanical stimuli, algesics, and capsaicin. Correlations between responses to capsaicin and any others were not significant. After WGA-HRP was applied to the CN, the STN neurons which receive input from the CN were identified largely in the medio-ventral portion to the solitary tract. These results suggest that capsaicin produce taste as well as pain sensation. Sensory information evoked by capsaicin can be conveyed to the STN, especially medio-ventral portion, via the CN as gustatory information on the one hand, and to the STN or TGN via the LN as noxious information on the other. In addiation, the noxious information may be conveyed to the STN via the CN.