Salt discriminability is related to the number of regenerated taste
buds after chorda tympani nerve section in rats.
John, Steven J. St, Stacy Markison, and Alan C. Spector.
Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
32611
APStracts 2:0035R, 1995.
Transection of the chorda tympani nerve (CTX) impairs taste-guided
discrimination of sodium chloride (NaCl) from potassium chloride
(KCl) in rats. We wanted to determine if this discrimination recovers
following CT regeneration. Experiment 1 showed that few taste buds
regenerated 14 days after CTX, whereas substantial regeneration
occurred 42 days after surgery. Experiment 2 demonstrated that rats
trained before CTX could clearly discriminate the two salts when
tested starting 49 days after surgery, whereas rats tested starting 8
days after surgery were severely impaired in this task. Rats tested
starting 28 days after CTX were unimpaired, moderately impaired, or
severely impaired on the discrimination task. Overall, discrimination
performance was significantly related to the number of regenerated
taste buds. Unilaterally transected rats tested shortly after surgery
were nearly as competent as controls. These results indicate that
rats can recover the ability to discriminate NaCl from KCl after
regeneration of anterior tongue taste buds.
Received 22 September 1994; accepted in final form 26 January
1995.
APS Manuscript Number R549-4.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Regulatory Integrative
Comp. Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1995 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 25 February 1995.