Activation by saccharides of a cation-selective pathway on canine lingual epithelium

Responses of isolated canine lingual epithelium in an Ussing chamber to D-glucose and fructose reveal events associated with taste transduction. With the use of isotopic flux studies, together with ion substitution and pharmacological and voltage clamp measurements, it was found that the stimulation of ion transport by D-glucose arises from an increase in the influx of cations through a cation-selective pathway. This influx of cations is completely inhibited by 0.1 mM amiloride. The stimulation of transport by fructose in 0.05 M KCl and by D-glucose in 0.05 M RbCl was also inhibited by amiloride, demonstrating that the saccharide-stimulated entry pathway was specific for neither hexose sugars nor for Na. Saccharide stimulation of canine lingual epithelia does not appear to be modulated by increases in intracellular levels of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate, guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate, or Ca. The Na that enters taste cells on saccharide stimulation exits them via the ouabain inhibitable Na+-K+-adenosinetriphosphatase located in the serosal membranes.