Abstract
This report deals with effects of five basic taste stimuli on the activity of sympathetic and vagal nerves innervating visceral organs in anesthetized rats. Under urethane anesthesia, basic taste stimuli such as sweet (10% sucrose or 5% glucose), or salty (5% NaCl), sour (0.6% acetic acid), bitter (0.2% quinine sulfate)and Umami (2.8% MSG) were applied into the oral cavity for 10 minutes. Efferent nerve activity was recorded from central cut end of sympthetic branches (adrenal and WAT) and vagal branches (gastric and celiac). Results: Sensory stimulations with four basic taste stimuli (salty, sour, bitter and umami) evoked an activation of sympathetic nerve activity to adrenal gland and WAT, however,taste stilulation with sweet taste caused a suppresseion in sympathetic efferents as well as vagalgastric efferents. On the contrary, vagal celiac efferents were activated by sweet taste and suppressed by other stimuli (salty, sour, bitter. and UMami). These observtions suggest that the visceral functions are regulated by taste stimulithrough autonomic outflows. [J Physiol Sci. 2006;56 Suppl:S95]
