Neural and behavioral responses to taste stimuli in the mouse

Neural responses to lingual stimulations with varying kinds of chemicals were recorded from the chorda tympani nerve of the ddy mouse and preferences for NaCl, sucrose and Na saccharin were measured using the two bottle-choice technique. Sucrose, Na saccharin, HCl, and quinine produced large neural responses compared with that for NaCl. Divalent salts also elicited larger responses than NaCl response. The effectiveness of cations was in the order of Sr greater than Mg = Ca greater than Li not equal to Na not equal to NH4 greater than K. Neural response magnitudes for Na salts with varying anions decrease with the relative hydrated size of anions. Mice highly preferred sucrose and Na saccharin but showed a poor preference for NaCl. Similarity in the gustatory responses between mice and hamsters as well as macaque monkeys, and difference between mice and rats are pointed out.