Abstract

Sweet taste receptors are primarily found in the oral cavity of the mammalian species. However, recent studies have shown that sweet taste receptors can be found in extraoral tissues such as the pancreas, intestines, and adipose tissue. Our lab has previously found that sweet taste receptors are down-regulated on the pancreas in the presence of high plasma glucose levels. In order to assess the possibility that sweet taste receptors respond to high levels of glucose by suppressing its expression, we wanted to see if they reacted similarly on the intestines. We found that intestinal sweet taste receptors are down regulated in the presence of a 24 hour high sucrose diet (60% sucrose), and a 7 day high sucrose diet in both wild type (WT) mice on the high sucrose diet, and T1R2-KO (lacking sweet taste receptors) mice. We also examined their glucose excursion levels, and found that these mice are lacking a normal response to dietary glucose via an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). This led us to conclude that the mice lacking sweet taste receptor expression exhibit abnormal glucose absorption, possibly indicating that sweet taste receptors regulate glucose absorption in the intestines.

Thesis Completion

2014

Semester

Fall

Advisor

Borgon, Robert

Degree

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

College

Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences

Department

Molecular Biology and Microbiology

Degree Program

Biomedical Sciences

Subjects

Dissertations, Academic -- Medicine; Medicine -- Dissertations, Academic

Format

PDF

Identifier

CFH0004686

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus-only Access

5 years

Document Type

Honors in the Major Thesis

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