eNeurobiology - Electronic Journal

 

Lorena Rubio-Navarro*, Carmen Torrero, Manuel Salas

Department of Developmental Neurobiology and Neurophysiology, Institute of Neurobiology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Juriquilla, Querétaro, México.

Abstract

In altricial newborns the gustatory system is fundamental for survival and for establishing mother-litter bonds in the nest environment. The chemosensory experience is initiated in the uterus by the actions of chemical stimulants in the amniotic fluid. After birth, maternal care prevails, and the gustatory system is surprisingly enriched by breast milk suction. In Norway rats at 12 days of age pups make a transition from milk to solid food. At this time, when the gustatory experience is broadly developed, both the receptors and the central nervous system (CNS) sensory relay systems undergo a remarkable reorganization to permit the integration of the sensory and hedonic characteristics of the gustatory cues. The current review analyzes the morphofunctional organization of the taste buds and the afferent projections, the neuronal organization of the first CNS relay, as well as how perinatal food deprivation interferes with the plastic properties of the rostral portion of the brainstem solitary tract nucleus in the rat.

Palabras clave: Gustatory system, Development, Solitary tract, Rats.

 

Corresponding Author: M.Sc. Lorena Rubio-Navarro, Department of Developmental Neurobiology and Neurophysiology, Institute of Neurobiology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Juriquilla, Querétaro, Qro., 76230. México. Tel: 52 5556234059. Fax: 52 5556234038. E-mail: lrubio_navarro@hotmail.com

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