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Environmental pollutants alter taste responses in the gerbil
S S Schiffman1, M S Suggs, M B Abou Donia
1Department of Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior
|September 1, 1995
Summary
Environmental pollutants like insecticides and herbicides significantly alter taste responses in gerbils. Methamidophos showed the strongest effect, suppressing most taste stimuli, highlighting the impact of these chemicals on sensory perception.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Environmental Toxicology
- Sensory Science
Background:
- Taste and smell are vital chemical senses influencing food selection, nutritional status, and survival.
- Damage to gustatory (taste) and olfactory (smell) receptors can severely impact an organism's ability to consume food and maintain health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the electrophysiological effects of 11 common environmental pollutants, including nine insecticides and two herbicides, on the taste responses of gerbils.
- To quantify the impact of specific chemical agents on the integrated chorda tympani (CT) nerve activity in response to various taste stimuli.
Main Methods:
- Electrophysiological recordings of the integrated chorda tympani (CT) nerve were performed on gerbils.
- Gerbils were exposed to a 4-minute application of one of 11 environmental pollutants.
- Taste responses were measured before and after pollutant exposure using a range of tastants, including salts, acids, sugars, MSG, quinine HCl, and urea.
Main Results:
- All 11 tested environmental pollutants (insecticides and herbicides) demonstrated an effect on gerbil taste responses to at least some stimuli.
- Methamidophos (10 mM) caused the most significant suppression across 10 out of 11 taste stimuli, with only urea response remaining unaffected.
- Herbicides paraquat and glyphosate also notably reduced responses to several tested tastants.
Conclusions:
- Environmental pollutants possess the capacity to significantly modify gustatory (taste) perception in mammals.
- The findings underscore the potential for widespread chemical contaminants to disrupt sensory systems crucial for survival and behavior.