Elsevier

Physiology & Behavior

Volume 47, Issue 6, June 1990, Pages 1295-1297
Physiology & Behavior

Brief communication
The effect of taste on gastric and pancreatic responses in dogs

https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9384(90)90387-JGet rights and content

Abstract

Six mongrel dogs with gastric and esophageal fistulas (n = 4) or with gastric and pancreatic fistulas (n = 2) were studied to determine the role of taste on gastric and pancreatic secretion. Stimulation of the back of the throat with a range of tastants produced gastric acid, bicarbonate, protein, and pancreatic polypeptide levels that were statistically equivalent to those produced with stimulation of the entire tongue. This suggests that the vagus nerve is the primary mediator of the cephalic phase response to tastants. There were marked individual differences among dogs in the responses to the ten tastants that were tested. On average, monosodium glutamate and seltzer, which mongrel dogs do not normally encounter in their diets, produced lower gastric acid secretion and pancreatic polypeptide release than sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and meaty tastes. The gastric acid secreted by the dogs with esophageal fistulas in response to tastes was only one-half as large as levels previously reported for sight/smell of food and only one sixth as large as those obtained with sham feeding.

References (15)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (10)

  • Societies of wolves and free-ranging dogs

    2012, Societies of Wolves and Free-Ranging Dogs
View all citing articles on Scopus

Supported in part by NIA AG00443, NIH DK 38205, and NIH R29DK4079001.

2

Present address: Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, CA 92103.

View full text