Mark S. Suggs

The effect of environmental odors emanating from commercial swine operations on the mood of nearby residents.

The effect of environmental odors emanating from large-scale hog operations on the mood of nearby residents was determined using the POMS (Profile of Mood States). The scores for six POMS factors and the TMD (total mood disturbance score) for 44 experimental subjects were compared to those of 44 control subjects who were matched according to gender, race, age, and years of education. The results indicated a significant difference between control and experimental subjects for all six POMS factors and the TMD. Persons living near the intensive swine operations who experienced the odors reported significantly more tension, more depression, more anger, less vigor, more fatigue, and more confusion than control subjects as measured by the POMS. Persons exposed to the odors also had more total mood disturbance than controls as determined by their ratings on the POMS. Both innate physiological responses and learned responses may play a role in the impairment of mood found here.

The effect of pleasant odors and hormone status on mood of women at midlife

The effect of odors on the mood of 56 women ranging in age from 45 to 60 years was determined using the POMS (Profile of Mood States). The 56 subjects were divided into four groups of 14 subjects each on the basis of hormonal status. Group 1 consisted of 14 women who were still menstruating; group 2 consisted of 14 women who were no longer menstruating and taking estrogen; group 3 consisted of 14 women who were no longer menstruating and taking estrogen and progesterone; and, group 4 consisted of 14 women who were no longer menstruating and taking no hormone replacement. Use of pleasant odors significantly improved scores on tension, depression, and confusion factors. In addition, women using estrogen replacement with or without progesterone had better mood scores than those who did not, which is consistent with previous studies.

Effect of pleasant odors on mood of males at midlife : comparison of African-American and European-American men

The purpose of this study was to determine if daily use of colognes could elevate mood in middle-aged men. Sixty men ranging in age from 40 to 55 years participated in the study. Half were European-American and half were African-American. Mood ratings were obtained twice daily for 12 days using the Profile of Mood States questionnaire (POMS). The first 2 days of the experiment were used as baseline information to establish each mans mood prior to the administration of the colognes. The following 10 days of the study consisted of two conditions of 5 days each, the fragrance condition and the placebo condition. Main effects of condition (baseline, fragrance, placebo) were found for all POMS factors including tension, depression, anger, vigor, fatigue, and confusion, as well as for the Total Mood Disturbance score (TMD). The scores for the fragrance condition were significantly better than those for the baseline condition for tension, depression, anger, fatigue, and confusion factors, as well as for the TMD. Also, the scores for the fragrance condition were significantly better than those for the placebo condition for all factors and the TMD. There was a main effect for race, with European-American subjects having significantly worse scores for tension and fatigue and significantly better scores for depression than African-American subjects. An interaction was present between race and condition for the depression, vigor, and confusion factors. The main conclusion of this study was that use of pleasant odors improved the mood of males at midlife.

Effect of tricyclic antidepressants on taste responses in humans and gerbils.

One of the side effects of antidepressant pharmacotherapy reported clinically is impairment of the sense of taste. In this study, the taste effects of four tricyclic antidepressant compounds (clomipramine HCl, desipramine HCl, doxepin HCl, and imipramine HCl) were evaluated experimentally by topical application of the drugs to the tongue. Taste detection threshold concentrations for all four medications ranged from 0.1 mM to 0.2 mM in young persons but were elevated by as much as 7.71 times that in elderly individuals who were taking no concurrent medications. Each compound had a predominantly bitter taste with other qualities including metallic, sour, and sharp-pungent. In addition, each tricyclic antidepressant at concentrations from 1 mM to 5 mM blocked responses to a wide range of taste stimuli in both humans and gerbils. The differential suppression of other tastes by tricyclic antidepressants at the level of the taste receptors may contribute to the clinical reports of dysgeusia and hypogeusia.

Effect of Medications on Taste: Example of Amitriptyline HCl

Use of medications is a major factor that contributes to taste losses in the elderly. Epidemiological studies suggest that community-dwelling elderly over the age of 65 use an average of 2.9 to 3.7 medications, and this number increases significantly for elderly living in retirement and nursing homes. The tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline HCl is used by at least half a million people aged 65 years or more. In human studies performed here, amitriptyline HCl was found to have a bitter, unpleasant taste of its own. In addition, it blocked responses to other taste stimuli in both humans and gerbils. This blockage in humans was greater when amitriptyline HCl was applied continuously to the tongue than when it was applied intermittently. Continuous application of the drug affected all of the taste qualities to varying degrees, while intermittent application led to taste decrements only for salts. Electrophysiological studies in gerbils also revealed taste decrements after a short adaptation to amitriptyline HCl.

The effect of amiloride analogs on taste responses in gerbil

Amiloride analogs that were designed to inhibit three types of Na+ transport systems (the epithelial Na+ channel, the Na+/H+ antiporter, and the Na+/Ca++ exchanger) were applied to the tongue of the gerbil to determine their effects of electrophysiological taste responses to NaCl, CaCl2, sucrose, and glutamic acid. The pattern of responses from the chorda tympani nerve indicates that the taste of NaCl is almost totally accounted for by the epithelial Na+ channel. Phenamil, an amiloride analog which specifically blocks the epithelial Na+ channel at low concentrations, suppressed the taste responses to 0.03 M NaCl by 97%. The pattern of responses also indicates that the Na+/H+ antiporter and the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger do not mediate salt taste in the gerbil. None of the amiloride analogs blocked taste responses to CaCl2, sucrose, or glutamic acid. It is concluded that the salty taste of NaCl in the gerbil is almost totally mediated by the epithelial Na+ channel, and the kinetics of this channel are identical to amiloride-sensitive sodium channels in other systems.

Effect of lipid-derived second messengers on electrophysiological taste responses in the gerbil

Integrated chorda tympani (CT) recordings were made to salty, sour, sweet, bitter, and glutamate tastants before and after a 4-min application of modulators of lipid-derived second messenger systems. The modulators included two membrane-permeable analogues of DAG, 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl glycerol (OAG) and dioctanoyl glycerol (DiC8); thapsigargin, which releases Ca++ from intracellular stores; ionomycin, a calcium ionophore; lanthanum chloride, an inorganic calcium channel blocker; nifedipine, a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker; quinacrine diHCl, a phospholipase A2 antagonist; melittin, a phospholipase A2 agonist; and indomethacin, which decreases the release of prostaglandins by inhibiting the enzyme cyclo-oxygenase. The main findings were: OAG (125 microM) and DiC8 (100 microM) blocked the responses of several bitter compounds while enhancing the taste response to several sweeteners. Lanthanum chloride blocked all responses, which may be due to the fact that it blocks tight junctions. Quinacrine (1 mM) suppressed several bitter responses while enhancing the response to several sweeteners. The enhancement of sweet taste responses by DAG analogues suggests that there is cross-talk between the adenylate cyclase system and one (or more) pathways involving lipid-derived second messengers in taste cells.

Astringent compounds suppress taste responses in gerbil

Astringent tastes are generally considered those that induce long-lasting puckering and drying sensations on the tongue and membranes of the oral cavity. Electrophysiological recordings were made here from the whole chorda tympani nerve in gerbil to understand the interactive effect of astringent-tasting molecules with a broad spectrum of tastants including mono- and divalent salts, bitter compounds, acids, and sweeteners. The astringent tasting compounds were tannic acid (24 mM at pHs 2.9 and 5.5), aluminum ammonium sulfate (30 mM), aluminum potassium sulfate (10 mM) and gallic acid (30 mM). Hydrochloric acid (1 mM, pH 2.9) was also tested to control for acidity, since aqueous solutions of astringent-tasting compounds are acidic. Adaptation of the tongue to tannic acid (24 mM) at both pH 2.9 and 5.5 markedly inhibited responses elicited by salts, acids, sweeteners, and bitter-tasting compounds. The degree of the inhibition at these two pH values is about the same which suggests that tannic acid itself (as opposed to acidity) may produce this inhibition. Chorda tympani responses to sweeteners were completely suppressed by tannic acid; responses to KCl, NH4Cl, and urea were the least suppressed. The aluminum salts also inhibited the chorda tympani responses to all stimuli tested. Gallic acid, which is weakly astringent, had minimal effects on the chorda tympani responses to the test compounds. These data suggest that both tannic acid and the aluminum salts inhibit a variety of transport pathways and receptors in taste cells for a broad spectrum of tastants. The inhibition of some of these pathways may contribute to the astringent taste sensation.

Environmental pollutants alter taste responses in the gerbil

Taste and smell are chemical senses that play a crucial role in food selection. Damage to taste and smell receptors can impair food intake, nutritional status, and survival. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of 11 environmental pollutants (nine insecticides and two herbicides) on electrophysiological taste responses in the gerbil. Integrated chorda tympani (CT) recordings were obtained from gerbils to a range of tastants before and after a 4-min application of 1 of 11 environmental pollutants. The taste stimuli were: sodium chloride (100 mM), calcium chloride (300 mM), magnesium chloride (100 mM), HCl (10 mM), potassium chloride (500 mM), monosodium glutamate (MSG) (50 mM), sucrose (100 mM), fructose (300 mM), sodium saccharin (10 mM), quinine HCl (30 mM), and urea (2 M). The nine insecticides included organophosphorous, carbamate, and pyrethroid insecticides. The seven organophosphorous insecticides tested were: acephate, carbofuran, chlorpyrifos, chlorpyrifos oxon, demeton, malathion, and methamidophos. The carbamate insecticide carbaryl and the pyrethroid insecticide fenvalerate were also tested. Two herbicides, paraquat and glyphosate, were tested, and dose-response curves for each of these two herbicides were also determined. All of the 11 insecticides and herbicides had an effect on some of the taste stimuli tested. Application of 10 mM methamidophos exhibited the greatest amount of suppression on the 11 taste solutions. Each taste stimulus was significantly suppressed with the exception of 2 M urea. Herbicides paraquat and glyphosate also reduced responses to several tastants. These data indicate that environmental pollutants can modify taste responses in the gerbil.

Taste effects of antiretroviral drugs on chorda tympani responses in gerbil

In clinical reports, HIV-infected patients complain that antiretroviral drugs produce unpleasant tastes that affect compliance with their medication regimen. In this study, taste effects of seven antiretroviral drugs (protease inhibitors and nucleoside analogs) were investigated in a gerbil model. Electrophysiological recordings were obtained from the chorda tympani nerve after lingual application of HIV medications. The effect of adaptation of the tongue to HIV medications on other taste stimuli with salty, sweet, sour and bitter qualities was also determined to simulate the presence of drug in the saliva. Four drugs (ritonavir, lamivudine, indinavir and didanosine) produced taste responses in the chorda tympani nerve of the gerbil at 0.625 mM and higher. Zidovudine, saquinavir and stavudine gave no taste responses at concentrations below 10 mM. The protease inhibitors saquinavir (2 mM) and ritonavir (10 mM) suppressed most taste stimuli with the greatest effect on bitter and sweet qualities. The nucleoside analog lamivudine gave a taste response at 20 mM and produced the greatest suppression on sour tastes. Results show that protease inhibitors had a more potent effect on chorda tympani responses in gerbil than nucleoside analogs.