Pharmacological significance of extra-oral taste receptors

Eur J Pharmacol. 2021 Sep 5:174480. doi: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2021.174480. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTIt has recently been shown that taste receptors, in addition to being present in the oral cavity, exist in various extra-oral organs and tissues such as the thyroid, lungs, skin, stomach, intestines, and pancreas. Although their physiological function is not yet fully understood, it appears that they can help regulate the body's homeostasis and provide an additional defense function against pathogens. Since the vast majority of drugs are bitter, the greatest pharmacological interest is in the bitter taste receptors. In this review, we describe how bitter taste 2 receptors (TAS2Rs) induce bronchodilation and mucociliary clearance in the airways, muscle relaxation in various tissues, inhibition of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in thyrocytes, and release of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and ghrelin in the digestive system. In fact, substances such as dextromethorphan, chloroquine, methimazole and probably glimepiride, being agonists of TAS2Rs, lead to these effects. TAS2Rs and taste 1 receptors (TAS1R2/3) are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR). TAS1R2/3 are responsible for sweet taste perception and may induce GLP-1 release and insulin secretion. Umami taste receptors, belonging to the same superfamily of receptors, perform a similar function with regard to insulin. The sour and salty taste receptors work in a similar way, both being channel receptors sensitive to amiloride...
Source: European Journal of Pharmacology - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Source Type: research