Vasopressin increases frog gustatory neural responses elicited by NaCl and HCl

1. The effect of arginine vasopressin (AVP) on frog gustatory responses was investigated by recording integrated responses of the whole glossopharyngeal nerve by stimulation of the tongue with tastants. 2. After AVP (100 mUnits/ml) was perfused to the basolateral side of taste cells through the lingual artery, gustatory neural responses for NaCl and hydrochloric acid (HCl) stimuli were greatly enhanced, but the responses for CaCl2, quinine hydrochloride (Q-HCl) and galactose were not affected. 3. Three hours after the onset of AVP perfusion, the responses for NaCl and HCl increased to 260% and 270% of the respective controls. 4. The NaCl response which was insensitive to amiloride during normal saline perfusion became sensitive to amiloride during AVP perfusion. 5. When membrane-permeable 8-bromo-cyclic AMP (8-Br-cAMP, 0.1 mM) was perfused to the basolateral side of taste cells, the responses for NaCl and HCl decreased to 41 and 63% of the respective controls. 6. These results suggest that AVP may regulate the gustatory responses for monovalent salts and acids by a mechanism which is not necessary to activate adenylate cyclase.