OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to analyze fungiform papillae density in patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS) and xerostomia. STUDY DESIGN In this cross-sectional clinical study, sixty patients were included (20 with BMS, 20 with xerostomia and 20 healthy controls). The fungiform papillae density was analyzed over a small region on the anterior tip of the tongue with the aid of a di...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in taste sensitivity during aging using four standard taste solutions. The subjects consisted of 50 normal volunteers who were divided into two groups. The younger age group was composed of 27 individuals between the ages of 20 and 30 years. The older group consisted of 23 individuals between the ages of 50 and 77 years. In order to evalu...

The T1r family is one of the receptor family belong to class C type of G protein coupled receptors, and comprised of three taste budspecific receptors, T1r1, T1r2 and T1r3 (Nelson et al., 2001). T1r1 and T1r2 are known to have distinctive patterns of regional expression, respectively (Hoon et al., 1999). T1r1 is expressed in taste buds in the fungiform papillae, but is rare in the taste buds of...

The number of basic taste qualities registered by single human fungiform papillae is correlated with the number of taste buds borne on these papillae. Multiple sensitivity was demonstrated both in single fungiform papillae and in single taste buds, with response to all four of the basic taste qualities occuring in a single taste bud.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-4 (NT4) are essential for the survival of geniculate ganglion neurons, which provide the sensory afferents for taste buds of the anterior tongue and palate. To determine how these target-derived growth factors regulate gustatory development, the taste system was examined in transgenic mice that overexpress BDNF (BDNF-OE) or NT4 (NT4-OE) ...

Wnt and Shh signaling pathways are critical for the development and maturation of many epithelial tissues. Both pathways have roles in stem cell maintenance, tissue development, and tumorigenesis. However, linkage between these pathways in mammalian systems had not been well established. Here, we report that Shh expression in fungiform papillae and formation of normal mature fungiform papillae ...

Variability in human taste perception is associated with both genetic and environmental factors. The influence of taste receptor expression on this variability is unknown, in part, due to the difficulty in obtaining human oral tissue that enables quantitative expression measures of taste genes. In a comparison of six current techniques (Oragene RNeasy Kit, Isohelix swab, Livibrush cytobrush, to...

We examined the dorsal lingual surfaces of an adult Patagonian cavy (Dolichotis patagonum) by scanning electron microscopy. The tongue of the Patagonian cavy is about 8 cm long and the lingual body had lingual prominence on the posterior third. There were no fungiform papillae in the lingual dorsal surface. The fungiform papillae were observed in both lateral sides of the lingual apex. The fili...

Most fungiform taste buds fail to become innervated when BDNF or NT4 is overexpressed in the basal layer of tongue epithelium. Here, we examined when and how overexpression of BDNF and NT4 disrupt innervation to fungiform papillae. Overexpression of either factor disrupted chorda tympani innervation patterns either before or during the initial innervation of fungiform papillae. NT4 and BDNF ove...

OBJECTIVE To report a case of pigmented fungiform papillae on the tongue. CLINICAL PRESENTATION AND INTERVENTION A 29-year-old female presented with patchy pigmented areas on her tongue of 2 years' duration. Examination of the tongue showed pigmentation confined to the fungiform papillae on the dorsum of the tongue. She was healthy and was not taking any medications and hence a diagnosis of p...