scholarly journals Interactions between Bitter Taste, Diet and Dysbiosis: Consequences for Appetite and Obesity

Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandria Turner ◽  
Martin Veysey ◽  
Simon Keely ◽  
Christopher Scarlett ◽  
Mark Lucock ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Harvesting ◽  
Bitter Taste ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Taste Receptors ◽  
Gi Tract ◽  
Potential Link ◽  
Modifiable Factor ◽  
The Subject

The type 2 family of taste receptors (T2Rs) detect and respond to bitter tastants. These receptors are expressed throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, with location dependant roles. In the oral cavity, T2Rs are involved in the conscious perception of bitter tastants, while in the lower GI tract they have roles in chemoreception and regulation of GI function. Through these diverse roles, these receptors may be involved in modulating appetite and diet, with consequences for weight regulation and obesity. Interestingly, the concentration of T2Rs in the GI tract is greatest in the large intestine, the organ with the densest colonisation of bacteria. The gut microbiome has been the subject of intense research, as a plethora of roles linking microbiota to human health continue to be uncovered. Of particular interest is the microbial signature associated with obesity. Obesity is a leading health concern, and advances in our understanding of this disease are needed. Diet is a known modifiable factor in the development of obesity. However, diet only partially explains disease risk. Changes in microbial energy harvesting by the microbiota plays a role in obesity, and the composition of these energy harvesting populations may be controlled by taste receptors. This review explores T2Rs as a potential link between obesity and the human GI microbiome.

Bitter stimuli induce Ca2+ signaling and CCK release in enteroendocrine STC-1 cells: role of L-type voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels

2006 ◽  
Vol 291 (4) ◽  
pp. C726-C739 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica C. Chen ◽  
S. Vincent Wu ◽  
Joseph R. Reeve ◽  
Enrique Rozengurt
Keyword(s):  
Endocrine Cells ◽  
Bitter Taste ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Gi Tract ◽  
Intracellular Ca ◽  
Α Subunits ◽  
Ca2 Channels ◽  
Cck Release

We previously demonstrated the expression of bitter taste receptors of the type 2 family (T2R) and the α-subunits of the G protein gustducin (Gαgust) in the rodent gastrointestinal (GI) tract and in GI endocrine cells. In this study, we characterized mechanisms of Ca2+ fluxes induced by two distinct T2R ligands: denatonium benzoate (DB) and phenylthiocarbamide (PTC), in mouse enteroendocrine cell line STC-1. Both DB and PTC induced a marked increase in intracellular [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]i) in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Chelating extracellular Ca2+ with EGTA blocked the increase in [Ca2+]i induced by either DB or PTC but, in contrast, did not prevent the effect induced by bombesin. Thapsigargin blocked the transient increase in [Ca2+]i induced by bombesin, but did not attenuate the [Ca2+]i increase elicited by DB or PTC. These results indicate that Ca2+ influx mediates the increase in [Ca2+]i induced by DB and PTC in STC-1 cells. Preincubation with the L-type voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channel (L-type VSCC) blockers nitrendipine or diltiazem for 30 min inhibited the increase in [Ca2+]i elicited by DB or PTC. Furthermore, exposure to the L-type VSCCs opener BAY K 8644 potentiated the increase in [Ca2+]i induced by DB and PTC. Stimulation with DB also induced a marked increase in the release of cholecystokinin from STC-1 cells, an effect also abrogated by prior exposure to EGTA or L-type VSCC blockers. Collectively, our results demonstrate that bitter tastants increase [Ca2+]i and cholecystokinin release through Ca2+ influx mediated by the opening of L-type VSCCs in enteroendocrine STC-1 cells.

Abstract P284: Higher Bitter Taste Perception is Associated With Lower Diabetes Risk Among Older Adults With Metabolic Syndrome - The PREDIMED-PLUS Trial

Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 141 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie E Gervis ◽  
Oscar Coltell ◽  
José V Sorlí ◽  
Dolores Corella ◽  
Alice H Lichtenstein
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Metabolic Syndrome ◽  
Bitter Taste ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Taste Perception ◽  
Endocrine Function ◽  
Taste Receptors ◽  
Lower Odds ◽  
Diabetes Status ◽  
Unit Scale

Background: Beyond taste perception, taste receptors in the mouth and gastrointestinal tract have been linked to the regulation of energy balance, endocrine function and glucose homeostasis. Despite this, little is known about the relationship between perception for the 5 tastes (sweet, salt, sour, bitter and umami) and diet-related chronic disease risk. Objective: To investigate the association between perception for the 5 tastes and diabetes status. Methods: A cross-sectional baseline analysis was performed on older (55-75 years), overweight (BMI, ≥27-<40) adults diagnosed with metabolic syndrome who were participating in the PREDIMED-PLUS Valencia trial (N=367). Taste perception was measured by challenging participants with standard solutions representing sweet, salt, sour, bitter and umami (400 mM sucrose, 200 mM NaCl, 34 mM citric acid, 5.6 mM phenylthiocarbamide [PTC], 200 mM monopotassium glutamate, respectively) and was evaluated on a 0-5 unit scale. Diabetes status was determined by self-reported clinical diagnosis. Multivariable logistic regression models that included all 5 tastes were used to test the association between taste perception and diabetes status. Results: The prevalence of diabetes in this cohort was 38%. Compared to individuals without diabetes, individuals with diabetes had significantly lower bitter taste perception (unadjusted means: 1.6 versus 1.1 units, respectively) (t-test p<0.001). After adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, physical activity, BMI and medication use, a 1 unit increase in bitter taste perception was associated with a 42% lower odds of being diagnosed with diabetes (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.58; 95% CI = [0.38, 0.84], p<0.001). Although mean perceptions for sweet, salt, sour and umami were also lower in individuals with diabetes, the associations did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: Among older adults with metabolic syndrome, higher bitter taste perception was associated with lower odds of being diagnosed with diabetes. Further investigations are warranted to confirm these observations and to determine whether bitter taste receptors may provide a possible therapeutic target for diabetes prevention and treatment.

Taste Receptors in the Gastrointestinal Tract. I. Bitter taste receptors and α-gustducin in the mammalian gut

2006 ◽  
Vol 291 (2) ◽  
pp. G171-G177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrique Rozengurt
Keyword(s):  
Bitter Taste ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Taste Receptor ◽  
Caloric Intake ◽  
Taste Receptors ◽  
Neural Pathways ◽  
Gi Tract ◽  
Lingual Epithelium ◽  
Molecular Sensing ◽  
Pancreatic Insulin

Molecular sensing by gastrointestinal (GI) cells plays a critical role in the control of multiple fundamental functions in digestion and also initiates hormonal and/or neural pathways leading to the regulation of caloric intake, pancreatic insulin secretion, and metabolism. Molecular sensing in the GI tract is also responsible for the detection of ingested harmful drugs and toxins, thereby initiating responses critical for survival. The initial recognition events and mechanism(s) involved remain incompletely understood. The notion to be discussed in this article is that there are important similarities between the chemosensensory machinery elucidated in specialized neuroepithelial taste receptor cells of the lingual epithelium and the molecular transducers localized recently in enteroendocrine open GI cells that sense the chemical composition of the luminal contents of the gut.

Sa1833 Emerging Role of Gastrointestinal Bitter Taste Receptors in Treating Type 2 Diabetes

2015 ◽  
Vol 148 (4) ◽  
pp. S-343-S-344
Author(s):  
Ravinder Abrol ◽  
Susan Morvaridi ◽  
Hung Pham ◽  
Shuping S. Wu ◽  
Hongxiang Hui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Bitter Taste ◽  
Taste Receptors ◽  
Bitter Taste Receptors

scholarly journals T2R bitter taste receptors regulate apoptosis and may be associated with survival in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan M Carey ◽  
Derek B McMahon ◽  
Karthik Rajasekaran ◽  
Indiwari Gopallawa ◽  
Jason G Newman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Head And Neck ◽  
Squamous Cell ◽  
Bitter Taste ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Tumor Biology ◽  
The Cancer Genome Atlas ◽  
Taste Receptors ◽  
Caspase Activation ◽  
Cancer Genome Atlas ◽  
Bitter Taste Receptors

Better management of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) requires a clearer understanding of tumor biology and disease risk. Bitter taste receptors (T2Rs) have been studied in several cancers, including thyroid, salivary, and GI, but their role in HNSCC has not been explored. We found that HNSCC patient samples and cell lines expressed functional T2Rs on both the cell and nuclear membranes. Bitter compounds, including bacterial metabolites, activated T2R-mediated nuclear Ca2+ responses leading to mitochondrial depolarization, caspase activation and ultimately apoptosis. Buffering nuclear Ca2+ elevation blocked caspase activation. Furthermore, increased expression of T2Rs in HNSCCs from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) is associated with improved overall survival. This work suggests that T2Rs are potential biomarkers to predict outcomes and guide treatment selection, may be leveraged as therapeutic targets to stimulate tumor apoptosis, and may mediate tumor-microbiome crosstalk in HNSCC.

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