Study on causes of reduced umami sensitivity

• Project/Area Number: 16K15850
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Social dentistry
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Sasano Takashi 東北大学, 歯学研究科, 教授 (10125560)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 菅原 俊二 東北大学, 歯学研究科, 教授 (10241639) ; 市川 博之 東北大学, 歯学研究科, 教授 (20193435) ; 佐藤 しづ子 東北大学, 歯学研究科, 助教 (60225274) ; 庄司 憲明 東北大学, 大学病院, 講師 (70250800) ; 飯久保 正弘 東北大学, 歯学研究科, 講師 (80302157)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2017)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,120,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥720,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥2,210,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥510,000)
• Keywords: 味覚障害 / 味覚検査 / 味覚受容体遺伝子解析 / うま味 / 唾液 / 唾液分泌 / グルタミン酸塩

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Quantitative measurement of glutamate in saliva using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and quantitative analysis of umami receptor genes expression by real-time PCR method were performed to determine the cause of reduced umami sensitivity. As a result, the amount of glutamate in saliva in patients with reduced umami sensitivity had a tendency to be lower than that in subjects with normal umami sensitivity. On the other hand, there was no significant difference in the expression levels of the umami receptor genes expression between patients with reduced umami sensitivity and healthy subjects. These results suggested that reduced umami sensitivity could be related to the amount of glutamate in saliva.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Differences in Taste Perception and Spicy Preference: A Thai-Japanese Cross-cultural Study. (2018)
  • Author(s): Trachootham D, Satoh-Kuriwada S, Lam-ubol A, Promkam C, Chotechuang N, Sasano T, Shoji N.
  • Journal Title: Chemical Senses. Volume: 43 Issue: 1 Pages: 65-74
  • DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjx071
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Genotyping Analysis of Bitter-Taste Receptor Genes <i>TAS2R38</i> and <i>TAS2R46</i> in Japanese Patients with Gastrointestinal Cancers (2017)
  • Author(s): Yamaki M, (Saito H, Isono K, Goto T, Shirakawa H, Shoji N, Satoh-Kuriwada S, Sasano T, Okada R, Kudoh K, Motoi F, Unno M, Komai M)
  • Journal Title: Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology Volume: 63 Issue: 2 Pages: 148-154
  • DOI: 10.3177/jnsv.63.148
  • NAID: 130005680625
  • ISSN: 0301-4800, 1881-7742
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Sensory Science of Oral Health for Creating New Preventive Medicines (2016)
  • Author(s): Sasano T, Uneyama H, Hummel T
  • Journal Title: Curr Pharm Des Volume: 22 Pages: 2193-2194
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] 高齢者の味覚異常感は栄養摂取に影響を与える． (2017)
  • Author(s): 佐藤しづ子、庄司憲明、笹野高嗣
  • Organizer: 第55回日本口腔科学会北日本地方部会・第43回日本口腔外科学会北日本支部学術集会
• [Presentation] 味覚障害患者の栄養実態―味覚正常者との栄養状態・栄養素摂取量の比較―． (2017)
  • Author(s): 佐藤しづ子、庄司憲明、日比野智香子、笹野高嗣．
  • Organizer: 第27回日本口腔内科学会・第30回日本口腔診断学会合同学術大会
• [Presentation] 世界が注目するumamiを活用した味覚障害・ドライマウス治療． (2017)
  • Author(s): 笹野高嗣
  • Organizer: 第47回日本口腔インプラント学会主催 市民公開講座
• [Presentation] 味覚障害における医科歯科連携の重要性－口腔内味覚受容器障害と嗅覚障害に対する具体例について－． (2017)
  • Author(s): 佐藤しづ子、庄司憲明、渡邊暁子、河合美佐子、畝山寿之、笹野高嗣
  • Organizer: 日本味と匂学会第51回大会
• [Presentation] 唾液中亜鉛結合タンパク質を用いた味覚障害のスクリーニング法－炭酸脱水酵素6型抗体を用いたイムノクロマト試薬検査－． (2017)
  • Author(s): 島﨑伸子、山森徹雄、佐藤しづ子、笹野高嗣、鈴木 綾、後藤知子、駒井三千夫
  • Organizer: 日本味と匂学会第51回大会
• [Presentation] 日本人における苦味受容体TAS2R38の多型変異とその癌発症リスク． (2017)
  • Author(s): 八巻美智子、齋藤弘貴、磯野邦夫、後藤知子、白川 仁、庄司憲明、佐藤しづ子
  • Organizer: 日本味と匂学会第51回大会
• [Presentation] がん薬物療法による味覚の変化について． (2017)
  • Author(s): 傳田祐也、庄司憲明、佐藤しづ子、笹野高嗣
  • Organizer: 日本歯科放射線学会第22回臨床画像大会第10回Oral Medicine and IVR研究会
• [Presentation] Significance of taste and olfaction in healthy life: The key role of umami taste in oral and overall health (2016)
  • Author(s): Takashi Sasano
  • Organizer: 17th International Symposium on Olfactory and Taste
  • Place of Presentation: パシフィコ横浜（横浜市）
  • Year and Date: 2016-06-07
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Expression of umami taste-related genes in the tongue: A pilot study for genetic taste diagnosis (2016)
  • Author(s): Noriaki Shoji, Shizuko Satoh-Kuriwada, Masahiro Tsuchiya, Hisayuki Uneyama, Misako Kawai, Takashi Sasano
  • Organizer: The 17th International Symposium on Olfaction and Taste
  • Place of Presentation: パシフィコ横浜（横浜市）
  • Year and Date: 2016-06-06
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Development of an umami-taste sensitivity test and its clinical use. -Patients with umami specific taste disorder and their loss of appetite- (2016)
  • Author(s): Shizuko Satoh-Kuriwada, Noriaki Shoji, Misako Kawai, Hisayuki Uneyama, Takashi Sasano
  • Organizer: The 17th International Symposium on Olfaction and Taste
  • Place of Presentation: Yokohama
  • Year and Date: 2016-06-06
  • Int'l Joint Research