摘要
Thermal tasters (TTs) perceive thermally induced taste (thermal taste) sensations when the tongue is stimulated with temperature in the absence of gustatory stimuli, while thermal non tasters (TnTs) only perceive temperature. This is the first study to explore detailed differences in thermal taste responses across TTs. Using thermal taster status phenotyping, 37 TTs were recruited, and the temporal characteristics of thermal taste responses collected during repeat exposure to temperature stimulation. Phenotyping found sweet most frequently reported during warming stimulation, and bitter and sour when cooling, but a range of other sensations were stated. The taste quality, intensity, and number of tastes reported greatly varied. Furthermore, the temperature range when thermal taste was perceived differed across TTs and taste qualities, with some TTs perceiving a taste for a small temperature range, and others the whole trial. The onset of thermal sweet taste ranged between 22 and 38 °C during temperature increase. This supports the hypothesis that TRPM5 may be involved in thermal sweet taste perception as TRPM5 is temperature activated between 15 and 35 °C, and involved in sweet taste transduction. These findings also raised questions concerning the phenotyping protocol and classification currently used, thus indicating the need to review practices for future testing. This study has highlighted the hitherto unknown variation that exists in thermal taste response across TTs, provides some insights into possible mechanisms, and importantly emphasises the need for more research into this sensory phenomenon.
摘要译文
热味觉者（TTs）在没有味觉刺激的情况下在舌头受到温度刺激时感觉到热诱导的味道（热味）感觉，而热非品尝者（TnT）只能感知温度。这是第一项研究探讨TTs热味反应的详细差异。使用热量品尝者状态表型，招募了37个TT，并且重复暴露于温度刺激期间收集热味反应的时间特征。在变暖刺激过程中，表型分析发现甜味最频繁，冷却时变酸又酸，但有一系列其他感觉。味道质量，强度，并且报道的口味数量差异很大。此外，感觉到热味的温度范围在TT和味道品质方面不同，有些TT认为小温度范围的味道，而其他的则是整个试验。在温度升高过程中，热甜味的起始温度介于22和38°C之间。这支持了TRPM5可能参与热甜味感觉的假设，因为TRPM5在15至35℃之间被温度激活，并涉及甜味转导。这些发现还提出了有关目前使用的表型分型方案和分类的问题，从而表明需要审查未来测试的做法。这项研究突出了迄今未知的变化，存在于TTs的热味反应中，为可能的机制提供了一些见解，并且重要地强调需要对这种感官现象进行更多的研究。
MarthaSkinner[a][b];SallyEldeghaidy[b];RebeccaFord[a];TimoGiesbrecht[c];AnnaThomas[c];SusanFrancis[b];JoanneHort[a][d];. Variation in thermally induced taste response across thermal tasters[J]. Physiology & Behavior, 2018,188: 67-78