Developmental alteration of function and distribution of taste buds on the soft palate.

研究了大鼠软腭和菌状乳头味蕾功能和分布的发育变化。软腭上的味蕾对糖产生强烈的味觉反应，尤其是蔗糖和各种d -氨基酸。它们对明显抑制对钠盐的味觉反应的阿米洛利不敏感。相反，真菌状乳头上的味蕾对糖和氨基酸的味觉敏感性较低，而阿米洛利对钠盐A有明显的抑制作用。真菌状乳头的味蕾数约为100个，3周龄时达到200个。然而，成熟的味蕾只占所有味蕾的15%，在两周大时达到90%。另一方面，软腭上分布着180个味蕾，其中80%在出生时成熟，两周龄时达到90%。出生时周围乳头上的味蕾只有40个，4周龄时达到400个。出生时叶状乳头上没有味蕾，3周龄时有300个味蕾。虽然不同物种的味蕾数量不同，但在小鼠和沙鼠中，软腭和舌头的味蕾成熟程度也存在类似的差异。在狨猴中，3日龄时，真菌状乳头的味蕾数量约为软腭的3倍，而成熟的味蕾在软腭中占80%，在真菌状乳头中占60%。虽然味蕾数量在2月龄时明显减少，9月龄时达到1 / 3，但菌状乳突的芽减少较少。这些结果表明，哺乳动物软腭味蕾的功能与舌味蕾的功能有很大的不同，在新生儿阶段起着重要的作用。

Developmental changing of fuction and distribution of taste buds on the soft palate and fungiform papilla were investigated in the rat. Taste buds on the soft palate produced robust gustatory responses to sugars, especially for sucrose, and various D-amino acids. They showed little sensitivity for amiloride which markedly inhibit taste responses to Na salts. On the contrary, taste buds on the fungiform papilla indicated low taste sensitivities for sugars and amino acids, while remarkable inhibition by amiloride for Na salts A was observed. The number of taste buds of the fungiform papillae was approximately 100, and reached 200 at three weeks of age. However, maturated taste buds were only 15% of all and reached 90% at two weeks of age. On the other hand, 180 taste buds were distributed on the soft palate and 80% of those were maturated at birth and reached 90% at two weeks of age. The number of taste buds on circumvallate papillae was only 40 at birth and reached 400 at four weeks of age. No taste bud was observed on the foliate papillae at birth and observed 300 at three weeks of age. Although the numbers of taste buds were different among species, similar difference of maturation of taste buds between the soft palate and the tongue was observed in the mouse and gerbil. In the marmoset, the number of the taste buds of fungiform papillae was approximately three times larger than that on the soft palate at tree days of age, while maturated buds were 80% in the soft palate and 60% in the fungiform papillae. Although the number of taste buds apparently decreased at two months of age and reached one third at nine months, while the decreasing of buds in the fungiform papillae was slight. These results indicated that the function of the taste buds on the soft palate was quite different from those in the tongue, playing important role on neonatal stage in mammals.