Altered peripheral taste function in a mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gastroenterology
• Sensory Biology

Background:

• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is linked to increased sugar intake and taste dysfunction.
• The impact of IBD on taste function in animal models remained unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how chronic colitis affects taste function in a mouse model.
• To determine if colitis alters neural taste responses and receptor expression.

Main Methods:

• Chronic colitis was induced in mice using dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) over three cycles.
• Electrophysiological responses from the chorda tympani (CT) nerve were recorded to assess taste function.
• Expression of taste receptor subunits was analyzed.

Main Results:

• DSS-treated mice exhibited colitis symptoms including weight loss and diarrhea.
• Neural taste responses to sweeteners were significantly reduced in colitis models.
• Umami taste responses were modestly elevated, while responses to other tastants remained unchanged.
• Colitis modulated the expression of sweet and umami taste receptor subunits.

Conclusions:

• Chronic colitis in mice alters taste input to the brain, primarily affecting sweet taste perception.
• These taste alterations may contribute to malnutrition and disease exacerbation in IBD patients.
• Dysregulated cytokine responses or gut dysbiosis could underlie these taste changes.