Regulation of taste receptor gene expressions by UMAMI -application for therapeutic diet-

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24650489
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Eating habits, studies on eating habits
• Research Institution: The University of Tokushima
• Principal Investigator: TSUTSUMI Rie 徳島大学, ヘルスバイオサイエンス研究部, 助教 (80510172)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 味覚

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the present study, an attempt was made to clarify the hypothesis that chemotherapy changes gene expression of taste receptors in the tongue to induce dysgeusia in patients with head and neck cancer. The present study enrolled 21 patients who received chemoradiotherapy for head and neck cancer. The mRNA levels of taste receptor subunits: T1R1, T1R2, T1R3 and T2R5 were measured in the scrapings of lingual mucosa obtained with a small spatula. In 17 patients with mild/moderate stomatitis, mRNA levels of T1R3 were significantly and transiently decreased, while those of T2R5 mRNA significantly and transiently increased after chemotherapy. There was a negative significant correlation between the perception thresholds of umami or sweet tastes and lingual mRNA levels of T1R3 in patients with mild/moderate stomatitis after chemotherapy. Lingual mRNA levels of T2R5 were significantly increased in patients who complained of phantogeusia after chemotherapy.

Free Research Field

臨床栄養学