scholarly journals Postsynaptic P2X3‐containing receptors in gustatory nerve fibres mediate responses to all taste qualities in mice

2015 ◽  
Vol 593 (5) ◽  
pp. 1113-1125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurelie Vandenbeuch ◽  
Eric D. Larson ◽  
Catherine B. Anderson ◽  
Steven A. Smith ◽  
Anthony P. Ford ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nerve Fibres ◽  
Gustatory Nerve

scholarly journals Evolutionary origins of taste buds: phylogenetic analysis of purinergic neurotransmission in epithelial chemosensors

Open Biology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 130015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masato Kirino ◽  
Jason Parnes ◽  
Anne Hansen ◽  
Sadao Kiyohara ◽  
Thomas E. Finger
Keyword(s):  
Atpase Activity ◽  
Taste Buds ◽  
Purinergic Signalling ◽  
Nerve Fibres ◽  
Taste System ◽  
Evolutionary Origins ◽  
Gustatory Nerve ◽  
Solitary Chemosensory Cells ◽  
Early Vertebrates ◽  
Chemosensory Systems

Taste buds are gustatory endorgans which use an uncommon purinergic signalling system to transmit information to afferent gustatory nerve fibres. In mammals, ATP is a crucial neurotransmitter released by the taste cells to activate the afferent nerve fibres. Taste buds in mammals display a characteristic, highly specific ecto-ATPase (NTPDase2) activity, suggesting a role in inactivation of the neurotransmitter. The purpose of this study was to test whether the presence of markers of purinergic signalling characterize taste buds in anamniote vertebrates and to test whether similar purinergic systems are employed by other exteroceptive chemosensory systems. The species examined include several teleosts, elasmobranchs, lampreys and hagfish, the last of which lacks vertebrate-type taste buds. For comparison, Schreiner organs of hagfish and solitary chemosensory cells (SCCs) of teleosts, both of which are epidermal chemosensory end organs, were also examined because they might be evolutionarily related to taste buds. Ecto-ATPase activity was evident in elongate cells in all fish taste buds, including teleosts, elasmobranchs and lampreys. Neither SCCs nor Schreiner organs show specific ecto-ATPase activity, suggesting that purinergic signalling is not crucial in those systems as it is for taste buds. These findings suggest that the taste system did not originate from SCCs but arose independently in early vertebrates.

scholarly journals Early Detection of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: A Focus on Small Nerve Fibres

Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 165
Author(s):  
Jamie Burgess ◽  
Bernhard Frank ◽  
Andrew Marshall ◽  
Rashaad S. Khalil ◽  
Georgios Ponirakis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Peripheral Neuropathy ◽  
Nerve Fibre ◽  
Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Screening Tools ◽  
Nerve Fibres ◽  
Diagnostic Laboratory ◽  
Corneal Confocal Microscopy ◽  
Small Nerve

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is the most common complication of both type 1 and 2 diabetes. As a result, neuropathic pain, diabetic foot ulcers and lower-limb amputations impact drastically on quality of life, contributing to the individual, societal, financial and healthcare burden of diabetes. DPN is diagnosed at a late, often pre-ulcerative stage due to a lack of early systematic screening and the endorsement of monofilament testing which identifies advanced neuropathy only. Compared to the success of the diabetic eye and kidney screening programmes there is clearly an unmet need for an objective reliable biomarker for the detection of early DPN. This article critically appraises research and clinical methods for the diagnosis or screening of early DPN. In brief, functional measures are subjective and are difficult to implement due to technical complexity. Moreover, skin biopsy is invasive, expensive and lacks diagnostic laboratory capacity. Indeed, point-of-care nerve conduction tests are convenient and easy to implement however questions are raised regarding their suitability for use in screening due to the lack of small nerve fibre evaluation. Corneal confocal microscopy (CCM) is a rapid, non-invasive, and reproducible technique to quantify small nerve fibre damage and repair which can be conducted alongside retinopathy screening. CCM identifies early sub-clinical DPN, predicts the development and allows staging of DPN severity. Automated quantification of CCM with AI has enabled enhanced unbiased quantification of small nerve fibres and potentially early diagnosis of DPN. Improved screening tools will prevent and reduce the burden of foot ulceration and amputations with the primary aim of reducing the prevalence of this common microvascular complication.

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