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suggests a physio-chemical method for masking these compounds
in liquid formulations may be more broadly successful than the
development of novel compounds intended to block specific
sensory receptors. it seems likely that a combination approach
using perceptual mechanisms (addition of sweeteners), physical
partitioning, and direct manipulation of receptor-agonist
relationships will be the most successful approach to providing a
product with acceptable sensory attributes. Acknowledgements:
Supported by funds from the Pennsylvania State University and
NIH grant DC010904.
#P45
POSTER SESSION II:
TRIGEMINAL SYSTEM; TASTE CNS;
NEUROIMAGING; OLFACTION CNS
Sucrose and Menthol Modulate Cough Reflex Sensitivity
Jennifer A Louie
1
, Paul Breslin
1, 2
, Pamela Dalton
1
, Paul Wise
1
1
Monell Chemical Senses Center Philadelphia, PA, USA,
2
Rutgers University, School of Environmental and Biological
Sciences New Brunswick, NJ, USA
Cough is a vital defensive reflex that protects the airways by
clearing accumulated secretions, chemical irritants, and other
xenobiotics. However, airway hypersensitivity and coughing that
accompany various disease states prompt more physician visits
than any other complaint, with billions of dollars spent annually
on medication. Interestingly, in clinical trials of cough
suppressants, control formulations that lack pharmacologically
active ingredients are often almost as effective as formulations with
active ingredients, a finding often taken as an unusually strong
placebo effect. We hypothesized that chemical stimuli commonly
added to cough syrups, including sucrose (sweet taste is analgesic)
and menthol (which can modulate the sensitivity of airway afferent
nerves) can suppress cough sensitivity. Cough sensitivity was
measured using a single-inhalation challenge, a test that determines
the minimum concentration of aersolized capsaicin solution needed
to elicit a criterion number of coughs (3). In Experiment 1, each
subject rinsed their mouth with either a sucrose solution or water
(control) before each inhalation of capsaicin. In Experiment 2,
subjects inhaled either the headspace above a menthol solution or
above a mineral oil blank (control) before each inhalation of
capsaicin. Relative to control conditions, rinsing the mouth with
sucrose (Experiment 1) or inhaling menthol vapor (Experiment 2)
produced a significant increase in cough thresholds, i.e. reduced
measured sensitivity. Past research has shown that chemical
irritants can trigger cough. The current results suggest that chemical
stimuli can suppress cough sensitivity as well, and may help
account for the efficacy of cough suppressants and lozenges that
lack known pharmacologically active ingredients.
Acknowledgements: NIHDC02995 NIHDC03704
#P46
POSTER SESSION II:
TRIGEMINAL SYSTEM; TASTE CNS;
NEUROIMAGING; OLFACTION CNS
The Effect of Smoking and Exposure to Tobacco Smoke on
Cough Thresholds
Julie A. Mennella, Paul Wise, Susana Finkbeiner, Danielle R. Reed
Monell Chemical Senses Center Philadelphia, PA, USA
Cough is a protective reflex that clears the airways of accumulated
secretions and chemical irritants. Cigarette smoking alters cough
sensitivity, and thus impacts the ability to respond appropriately to
such irritants. But smoking not only affects the health of the smoker
since it adversely affects children who are passively exposed to
environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). ETS exposure puts children
at higher risk for adverse health effects, including lower respiratory
tract infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis, wheezing,
asthma, and ear infections. The present study tested the hypothesis
that higher concentrations of an irritant are needed to elicit the
cough reflex in ETS-exposed children than Non-ETS exposed
children. The parents of these children were also tested to confirm
the reported difference in cough sensitivity between smokers and
non-smokers. To this end, 2 groups were tested. The ETS-Exposed
Group consisted of children whose parents smoked at least 3
cigarettes daily with the child living in the home continuously,
whereas Non-ETS Exposed Group consisted of children whose
parents had never smoked in their lifetime. Cough sensitivity was
measured using a standard single-inhalation challenge, a test of the
minimum concentration of the irritant capsaisin needed to elicit
cough. Each subject inhaled ascending concentrations of capsaicin,
interspersed with control blanks, from a nebulizer until the subject
coughed twice in immediate succession. Preliminary analyses
revealed that, like their parent, ETS-exposure children had higher
cough thresholds than Non-ETS exposed children. Whether
attenuation of the negative consequences of smoking increases the
odds that these children will experiment with smoking and suffer
negative health consequences is an important area for future
research. Acknowledgements: The project described was funded, in
part, by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Health and
Award Number R01HD37119 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The
content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not
necessarily represent the official views of the Eunice Kennedy
Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
or the National Institutes of Health. The Pennsylvania Department
of Health specifically disclaims responsibility for any analyses,
interpretations, or conclusions.We acknowledge the valuable
technical assistance of Ms. Fiona Crowley, whose position was
created by supplement 3R01HD037119-10S1 received under the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
#P47
POSTER SESSION II:
TRIGEMINAL SYSTEM; TASTE CNS;
NEUROIMAGING; OLFACTION CNS
Solitary chemosensory cells in biopsies of human nasal mucosa
Henry P Barham
1,3,4
, Marco Tizzano
2,3,4
, Catherine B Anderson
1,3,4
,
Vijay R Ramakrishnan
1,3,4
, Todd T Kingdom
1,3,4
,
Thomas E Finger
2,3,4
, Sue C Kinnamon
1,3,4
1
Department of Otolaryngology Aurora, CO, USA,
2
Department of Cell & Developmental Biology Aurora, CO, USA,
3
Rocky Mountain Taste and Smell Center Aurora, CO, USA,
4
University of CO Denver School of Medicine Aurora, CO, USA
The nasal respiratory epithelium in rodents is endowed with a
population of solitary chemosensory cells (SCCs) innervated by
the trigeminal nerve. The SCCs detect irritants including bacterially
produced molecules, and evoke trigeminally-mediated protective
airway reflexes including neurogenic inflammation and changes in
respiration. These cells express all of the components of the bitter
taste transduction pathway expressed in taste receptor cells of
the tongue including T2R bitter taste receptors, the G protein
α-gustducin, and the downstream signaling effectors, PLCβ2
and the transduction channel TrpM5. We have begun studies to
examine SCCs in the human nasal cavity. We used PCR and
immunohistochemistry on biopsy material from human sinonasal
mucosa to evaluate the presence, location, and density of
Abstracts | 43
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