Abstract

The objective is to understand the role of taste cell renewal in the aging process. Food identification difficulties and a lack of proper nutrition have been noted in the elderly. The role of taste in these deficiencies is not understood. A likely physiological change in taste for the elderly is a slowing down of taste cell renewal. The relationship between taste perception and taste cell renewal is not known.
The specific aims are: (1) Compare taste cell renewal in young and old Fischer-344 rats. (2) Simultaneously, the functioning of the taste system of young and old rats will be studies to note any decrease in sensitivity with age, using a comprehensive analysis of behavior in the presence of a variety of tastants and by electrophysiological recordings from peripheral taste nerves, including those from the palate. (3) Finally, changes in taste bud renewal will be experimentally introduced by injecting vinblastine sulfate, which arrests mitosis in its metaphase and by injecting testosterone, which alters the life cycle of the taste cells. The effects of these changes will be measured both by recording the neural changes in the taste nerves and by thoroughly studying the taste behavior of the rat.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AG006841-03
Application #
3117918
Study Section
Communication Sciences and Disorders (CMS)
Project Start
1987-06-01
Project End
1992-05-31
Budget Start
1989-06-01
Budget End
1990-05-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
1989
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
Florida State University
Department
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
020520466
City
Tallahassee
State
FL
Country
United States
Zip Code
32306

  Publications

Smith, James C; Sclafani, Anthony (2002) Saccharin as a sugar surrogate revisited. Appetite 38:155-60
Thaw, A K (1996) Changes in taste threshold over the life span of the Sprague-Dawley rat. Chem Senses 21:189-93
Glendinning, J I; Smith, J C (1994) Consistency of meal patterns in laboratory rats. Physiol Behav 56:7-16
O'Keefe, G B; Schumm, J; Smith, J C (1994) Loss of sensitivity to low concentrations of NaCl following bilateral chorda tympani nerve sections in rats. Chem Senses 19:169-84
Rhinehart-Doty, J A; Schumm, J; Smith, J C et al. (1994) A non-taste cue of sucrose in short-term taste tests in rats. Chem Senses 19:425-31
Smith, J C; Davis, J D; O'Keefe, G B (1992) Lack of an order effect in brief contact taste tests with closely spaced test trials. Physiol Behav 52:1107-11
Gannon, K S; Smith, J C; Henderson, R et al. (1992) A system for studying the microstructure of ingestive behavior in mice. Physiol Behav 51:515-21
Stricker, E M; Gannon, K S; Smith, J C (1992) Salt appetite induced by DOCA treatment or adrenalectomy in rats: analysis of ingestive behavior. Physiol Behav 52:793-802
Stricker, E M; Gannon, K S; Smith, J C (1992) Thirst and salt appetite induced by hypovolemia in rats: analysis of drinking behavior. Physiol Behav 51:27-37
Smith, J C; Gannon, K S (1991) Ingestion patterns of food, water, saccharin and sucrose in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Physiol Behav 49:189-99

Showing the most recent 10 out of 11 publications