Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Taste and salivary function.

J M Weiffenbach, P C Fox, B J Baum

    Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
    |August 1, 1986
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Using salivary glands to treat serious systemic diseases-Examples of new roles for oral medicine in the healthcare team?

    Oral diseases·2018
    Same author

    Effect of Tempol on the prevention of irradiation-induced mucositis in miniature pigs.

    Oral diseases·2017
    Same author

    Late responses to adenoviral-mediated transfer of the aquaporin-1 gene for radiation-induced salivary hypofunction.

    Gene therapy·2016
    Same author

    Immune reactivity after adenoviral-mediated aquaporin-1 cDNA transfer to human parotid glands.

    Oral diseases·2016
    Same author

    Adenovirus-mediated hAQP1 expression in irradiated mouse salivary glands causes recovery of saliva secretion by enhancing acinar cell volume decrease.

    Gene therapy·2016
    Same author

    Persistence of hAQP1 expression in human salivary gland cells following AdhAQP1 transduction is associated with a lack of methylation of hCMV promoter.

    Gene therapy·2015
    Same journal

    Chemotactic self-organization captures the dynamics of mammalian hair follicle patterning.

    Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
    Same journal

    Tomographic imaging of superconducting order using particle-hole interference.

    Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
    Same journal

    Inhibitory potential of autologous neutralizing antibodies sets quantitative limits on the rebound-competent HIV-1 reservoir.

    Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
    Same journal

    Inferring epidemiological parameters under an infectious phylogeography model with visitor dynamics.

    Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
    Same journal

    Analytical modeling for suction cup designs for skin-interfaced wearable devices.

    Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
    Same journal

    Improving cell-free metabolism through direct integration of artificial respiratory chains.

    Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
    See all related articles

    Severe salivary gland failure did not impair human taste perception. Taste sensitivity remained normal, suggesting taste receptors do not rely on saliva for function.

    Area of Science:

    • Physiology
    • Neuroscience
    • Sensory Science

    Background:

    • Saliva plays a crucial role in oral functions, including taste perception.
    • The specific contribution of saliva to the maintenance of taste receptor integrity is not fully understood.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the impact of severe salivary gland dysfunction on human taste perception.
    • To determine if saliva is essential for maintaining the functional integrity of taste receptor end organs.

    Main Methods:

    • Assessed taste perception in eight individuals with chronic, severe salivary gland failure.
    • Utilized subjective taste reports and objective suprathreshold sensitivity measures.
    • Evaluated taste threshold sensitivity for different taste qualities.

    Related Experiment Videos

    Main Results:

    • Most individuals exhibited normal subjective taste experience and suprathreshold sensitivity.
    • Threshold sensitivity impairments were observed in some individuals for specific taste qualities.
    • One individual maintained normal thresholds across all four basic taste qualities.

    Conclusions:

    • Human taste perception is remarkably resilient and not dependent on normal salivary gland function.
    • The findings reject the hypothesis that salivary factors are necessary for maintaining taste receptor end organs.
    • Alternative, saliva-independent mechanisms likely account for the resistance of taste cells to environmental damage.