Taste Physiology in Healthy, Normal-weight Volunteers

Taste physiology describes five main taste qualities in humans: sweet, sour, salty, umami and bitter. The receptors found on the tongue are also found in the entire gut. The correlation of stimulation of these gut receptors and brain activity has not yet been examined. The objectives are to investigate the effect of different taste substances on i) regional brain activity and ii) satiation peptide release.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Exploratory Behavior
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: Single intragastric instillation of 200 mL tap water via nasogastric tube; Dietary supplement: Single intragastric instillation of 2 g citric acid in 200 mL tap water via nasogastric tube; Dietary supplement: Single intragastric instillation of 2 g salt in 200 mL tap water via nasogastric tube; Dietary supplement: Single intragastric instillation of 0.017 g quinine in 200 mL tap water via nasogastric tube; Dietary supplement: Single intragastric instillation of 1 g monosodium glutamate in 200 mL tap water via nasogastric tube; Dietary supplement: Single intragastric instillation of 25 g glucose in 200 mL tap water via nasogastric tube

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 12
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Switzerland
  • Basel, Switzerland, CH-4031
    • University Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 45 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: Male

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• right-handed healthy males
• Body-mass index of < 25
• Age 18-45 years
• no drugs
• non-smoking

Exclusion Criteria:

• Smoking
• Substance abuse
• Regular intake of medications (except for oral contraceptives)
• Medical or psychiatric illness, especially: diabetes, pace-maker, claustrophobia
• History of gastrointestinal disorders
• Food allergies, glutamate intolerance
• Body piercings that cannot be removed

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

6

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: 200 mL tap water; Single intragastric instillation of 200 mL tap water via nasogastric tube	Dietary supplement: Single intragastric instillation of 200 mL tap water via nasogastric tube
Active Comparator: 2 g citric acid; Single intragastric instillation of 2 g citric acid in 200 mL tap water via nasogastric tube	Dietary supplement: Single intragastric instillation of 2 g citric acid in 200 mL tap water via nasogastric tube
Active Comparator: 2 g salt; Single intragastric instillation of 2 g salt in 200 mL tap water via nasogastric tube	Dietary supplement: Single intragastric instillation of 2 g salt in 200 mL tap water via nasogastric tube
Active Comparator: 0.017 g quinine; Single intragastric instillation of 0.017 g quinine in 200 mL tap water via nasogastric tube	Dietary supplement: Single intragastric instillation of 0.017 g quinine in 200 mL tap water via nasogastric tube
Active Comparator: 1 g monosodium glutamate; Single intragastric instillation of 1 g monosodium glutamate in 200 mL tap water via nasogastric tube	Dietary supplement: Single intragastric instillation of 1 g monosodium glutamate in 200 mL tap water via nasogastric tube
Active Comparator: 25 g glucose; Single intragastric instillation of 25 g glucose in 200 mL tap water via nasogastric tube	Dietary supplement: Single intragastric instillation of 25 g glucose in 200 mL tap water via nasogastric tube

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
regional brain activity assessed by functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)	Changes in resting state functional connectivity	changes from baseline to one hour after treatment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
gastrointestinal satiation peptide secretion	Unit of Measure: glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1) in pg/mL, peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY) in pg/mL and gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) in pg/mL	changes from baseline to one hour after treatment
glucose and insulin secretion	Unit of Measure: glucose in mmol/L, insulin in μU/mL	changes from baseline to one hour after treatment

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Christoph Beglinger, MD, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: March 1, 2013
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 1, 2013
• Study Completion (Actual): October 1, 2013

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 6, 2014
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 30, 2014
• First Posted (Estimate): October 3, 2014

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): October 3, 2014
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 30, 2014
• Last Verified: September 1, 2014

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Physiological Effects of Drugs; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Anti-Infective Agents; Peripheral Nervous System Agents; Analgesics; Sensory System Agents; Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; Anticoagulants; Antiprotozoal Agents; Antiparasitic Agents; Neuromuscular Agents; Chelating Agents; Sequestering Agents; Antimalarials; Muscle Relaxants, Central; Calcium Chelating Agents; Citric Acid; Sodium Citrate; Quinine
• Other Study ID Numbers: EKBB 289/12/2