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1996 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

Investigation of neurotransmitters responsible for the expression of salt appetite.

Research Project

Project/Area Number 07680873
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field Neuroscience in general
Research InstitutionOsaka University

Principal Investigator

SHIMURA Tsuyoshi  Osaka University, Faculty of Human Sciences, Assistant Professor, 人間科学部, 講師 (80150332)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) YAMAMOTO Takashi  Osaka University, Faculty of Human Sciences, Professor, 人間科学部, 教授 (60028793)
Project Period (FY) 1995 – 1996
Keywordstaste / salt appetite / acetylcholine / microdialysis / glutamate / dopamine / rat / motivation
Research Abstract

When animals are deficient in body sodium, they ingest excessive amounts of salty solutions and consume considerable quantities of concentrated salty solutions that are normally avoided at such high concentrations. To clarify the neurochemical mechanisms responsible for the expression of salt appetite, we conducted neurochemical, behavioral and electrophysiological experiments. 1) We measured acetylcholine release in response to intraoral infusion of concentrated NaCl (0.5M) in the insular gustatory cortex of freely behaving rats using the microdialysis technique. Acetylcholine release of acutely sodium-deprived rats by injections of furosemide was greater than that of normal rats. This result indicates that acetylcholine in the gustatory cortex is involved in the behavioral expression of salt appetite. 2) Using a recently developed dialysis-biosensor, we measured real-time glutamate level in response to various taste stimuli in the globus pallidus of freely behaving rats. Palatable ta … More ste stimuli such as sucrose and milk facilitated glutamate release compared with aversive or neutral solutions. This result suggests that glutamate in the globus pallidus is related to processing of palatability. 3) Electrolytic lesions of midbrain ventral tegmental area disturbed salt appetite. Lesioned animals consumed lower amounts of hedonically positive solutions than normal animals did. More selective, neurotoxic lesions, however, revealed that dopamine is not primarily concerned with salt appetite. 4) We compared parabrachial unit responses to taste stimuli between sodium-deprived and non-deprived rats under urethane anesthesia. Response magnitudes to NaCl were lower in deprived rats than in non-deprived rats. Responses to other tastes were not different between groups. These results suggest that interactions between gustatory relays in the lower brainstem and several forebrain structures are necessary for the expression of salt appetite. Acetylcholine and glutamate, but not dopamine, are suggested to be involved in salt appetite. Less

  • Research Products

    (15 results)

All Other

All Publications (15 results)

  • [Publications] 志村剛: "食塩摂取行動の発現機構" 大阪大学人間科学部紀要. 21. 175-197 (1995)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] 志村剛: "食塩欠乏ラットの大脳皮質味覚野アセチルコリンレベル:食塩水刺激による促進" 日本味と匂学会誌. 2. 223-226 (1995)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] 志村剛: "ラットの味覚行動に及ぼす中脳腹側被蓋野破壊の効果" 日本味と匂学会誌. 3. 492-495 (1996)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Grigson,P.S.: "Brainstem lesions and gustatory function : II. The role of the nucleus of the solitary tract in Na^+ appetite, conditioned taste aversion and conditioned odor aversion in rats." Behav. Neurosci.111. 169-179 (1997)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Shimura, T.: "Salient responsiveness of Parabrachial neurons to the conditioned stimulus after the acquisition of taste aversion learning in rats." Neuroscience. (in press). (1997)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Shimura, T.: "Facilitation of glutamate release in the ventromedial division of the globus pallidus during palatable taste stimulation in freely moving rats : real -time measurement." Neurosci. Res.(in press). (1997)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] 志村 剛: "食塩欲求時のラット大脳皮質味覚野のアセチルコリンレベル" 動物心理学研究. 45(印刷中). (1995)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Shimura, T.: "Central mechanisms of salt intake. (in Japanese)" Bull.of Fac.of Human Sci., Osaka Univ.21. 175-197 (1995)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Shimura, T.: "Facilitation of extracellular acetylcholine release in the gustatory cortex of salt-deprived rats in response to concentrated NaCl. (in Japanese)" Jpn.J.Taste Smell Res.2. 223-226 (1995)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Yamamoto, T.: "On the methods for behavioral and neuroscientific researches in gustation. (in Japanese)" Bull.of Fac.of Human Sci., Osaka Univ.22. 177-203 (1996)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Yasoshima, Y.: "An easy recording technique of neuronal responses to taste stimuli in freely behaving rats. (in Japanese)" Jpn.J.Taste Smell Res.3. 262-264 (1996)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Shimura, T.: "Effects of lesions of the midbrain ventral tegmental area on taste-guided behaviors in rats. (in Japanese)" Jpn.J.Taste Smell Res.3. 492-495 (1996)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Grigson, P.S.: "Brainstem lesions and gustatory function : II.The role of the nucleus of the solitary tract in Na^+ appetite, conditioned taste aversion and conditioned odor aversion in rats." Behav.Neurosci.111. 169-179 (1997)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Shimura, T.: "Salient responsiveness of parabrachial neurons to the conditioned stimulus after the acquisition of taste aversion learning in rats." Neuroscience. (in press). (1997)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Shimura, T.: "Facilitation of glutamate release in the ventromedial division of the globus pallidus during palatable taste stimulation in freely moving rats : real-time measurement." Neurosci.Res.(in press). (1997)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より

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Published: 1999-03-09  

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