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Flammer LJ, Ellis H, Rivers N, Caronia L, Ghidewon MY, Christensen CM, Jiang P, Breslin PAS, Tordoff MG. Topical application of a P2X2/P2X3 purine receptor inhibitor suppresses the bitter taste of medicines and other taste qualities. Br J Pharmacol 2024. [PMID: 38745397 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Many medications taste intensely bitter. The innate aversion to bitterness affects medical compliance, especially in children. There is a clear need to develop bitter blockers to suppress the bitterness of vital medications. Bitter taste is mediated by TAS2R receptors. Because different pharmaceutical compounds activate distinct sets of TAS2Rs, targeting specific receptors may only suppress bitterness for certain, but not all, bitter-tasting compounds. Alternative strategies are needed to identify universal bitter blockers that will improve the acceptance of every medication. Taste cells in the mouth transmit signals to afferent gustatory nerve fibres through the release of ATP, which activates the gustatory nerve-expressed purine receptors P2X2/P2X3. We hypothesized that blocking gustatory nerve transmission with P2X2/P2X3 inhibitors (e.g. 5-(5-iodo-4-methoxy-2-propan-2-ylphenoxy)pyrimidine-2,4-diamine [AF-353]) would reduce bitterness for all medications and bitter compounds. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Human sensory taste testing and mouse behavioural analyses were performed to determine if oral application of AF-353 blocks perception of bitter taste and other taste qualities but not non-gustatory oral sensations (e.g. tingle). KEY RESULTS Rinsing the mouth with AF-353 in humans or oral swabbing it in mice suppressed the bitter taste and avoidance behaviours of all compounds tested. We further showed that AF-353 suppressed other taste qualities (i.e. salt, sweet, sour and savoury) but had no effects on other oral or nasal sensations (e.g, astringency and oral tingle). CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS This is the first time a universal, reversible taste blocker in humans has been reported. Topical application of P2X2/P2X3 inhibitor to suppress bitterness may improve medical compliance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda J Flammer
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Hillary Ellis
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Natasha Rivers
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Lauren Caronia
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Misgana Y Ghidewon
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Peihua Jiang
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Paul A S Breslin
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
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Soh R, Fu L, Guo WM, Seetoh WG, Koay A. Inhibitors of human bitter taste receptors from the five-flavour berry, Schisandra chinensis. Food Funct 2023; 14:10700-10708. [PMID: 37986606 DOI: 10.1039/d3fo02303f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
The human bitter taste 2 receptor member 16 (TAS2R16) is one of 25 class A G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and responds to a variety of molecules responsible for the bitter taste sensation perceived in humans. TAS2R16 can be activated by β-glucopyranosides, and its activation can be inhibited by probenecid, a synthetic drug compound used to treat gout. In this study we describe naturally derived compounds which can inhibit the activation of TAS2R16 by salicin in vitro. These compounds belong to the lignan class derived from the fruit of Schisandra chinensis, which is commonly known as the five-flavour berry. We further tested other analogs with this lignan scaffold, found their differential inhibitory activities towards TAS2R16 in vitro, and sought to rationalize the activity using molecular docking of these lignans on a computationally modelled structure of TAS2R16. Selected lignans with inhibitory activity against other TAS2Rs reveal sub-millimolar inhibitory activity towards TAS2R10, TAS2R14, and TAS2R43 in cell-based assays. These compounds with demonstrated in vitro inhibition of bitter taste receptors may serve as tool compounds to investigate the molecular mechanisms of hTAS2Rs biology in gustatory and non-gustatory tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Soh
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 31 Biopolis Way, #02-01 Nanos, Singapore 138669, Singapore.
| | - Lin Fu
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 31 Biopolis Way, #02-01 Nanos, Singapore 138669, Singapore.
| | - Wei Mei Guo
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 31 Biopolis Way, #02-01 Nanos, Singapore 138669, Singapore.
| | - Wei-Guang Seetoh
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 31 Biopolis Way, #02-01 Nanos, Singapore 138669, Singapore.
| | - Ann Koay
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 31 Biopolis Way, #02-01 Nanos, Singapore 138669, Singapore.
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Chen S, Zhou X, Lu Y, Xu K, Wen J, Cui M. Anti-HIV drugs lopinavir/ritonavir activate bitter taste receptors. Chem Senses 2023; 48:bjad035. [PMID: 37625013 PMCID: PMC10486187 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjad035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Lopinavir and ritonavir (LPV/r) are the primary anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) drugs recommended by the World Health Organization for treating children aged 3 years and above who are infected with the HIV. These drugs are typically available in liquid formulations to aid in dosing for children who cannot swallow tablets. However, the strong bitter taste associated with these medications can be a significant obstacle to adherence, particularly in young children, and can jeopardize the effectiveness of the treatment. Studies have shown that poor palatability can affect the survival rate of HIV-infected children. Therefore, developing more child-friendly protease inhibitor formulations, particularly those with improved taste, is critical for children with HIV. The molecular mechanism by which lopinavir and ritonavir activate bitter taste receptors, TAS2Rs, is not yet clear. In this study, we utilized a calcium mobilization assay to characterize the activation of bitter taste receptors by lopinavir and ritonavir. We discovered that lopinavir activates TAS2R1 and TAS2R13, while ritonavir activates TAS2R1, TAS2R8, TAS2R13, and TAS2R14. The development of bitter taste blockers that target these receptors with a safe profile would be highly desirable in eliminating the unpleasant bitter taste of these anti-HIV drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shurui Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Xinyi Zhou
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Yongcheng Lu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Keman Xu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Jiao Wen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Meng Cui
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, United States
- Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, United States
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Construction of a bioluminescence-based assay for bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs). Sci Rep 2022; 12:17658. [PMID: 36271274 PMCID: PMC9587021 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21678-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
In humans, a family of 25 bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs) mediates bitter taste perception. A common approach to characterize bitter causative agents involves expressing TAS2Rs and the appropriate signal transducers in heterologous cell systems, and monitoring changes in the intracellular free calcium levels upon ligand exposure using a fluorescence-based modality, which typically suffers from a low signal window, and is susceptible to interference by autofluorescence, therefore prohibiting its application to screening of plant or food extracts, which are likely to contain autofluorescent compounds. The aim of this study is to develop and validate a bioluminescence-based intracellular calcium release assay for TAS2Rs that has a better assay performance than a fluorescence-based assay. Furthermore, the bioluminescence-based assay enabled the evaluation of TAS2R agonists within an autofluorescent matrix, highlighting its potential utility in the assessment of the bitterness-inducing properties of plant or food fractions by the food industry. Additionally, improvement to the bioluminescence-based assay for some TAS2Rs was achieved by altering their N-terminal signal sequences, leading to signal window enhancement. Altogether, the bioluminescence-based TAS2R assay can be used to perform functional studies of TAS2Rs, evaluate TAS2R-modulating properties of autofluorescent samples, and facilitate the discovery of compounds that can function as promising bitter taste modulators.
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Margulis E, Slavutsky Y, Lang T, Behrens M, Benjamini Y, Niv MY. BitterMatch: recommendation systems for matching molecules with bitter taste receptors. J Cheminform 2022; 14:45. [PMID: 35799226 PMCID: PMC9261901 DOI: 10.1186/s13321-022-00612-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Bitterness is an aversive cue elicited by thousands of chemically diverse compounds. Bitter taste may prevent consumption of foods and jeopardize drug compliance. The G protein-coupled receptors for bitter taste, TAS2Rs, have species-dependent number of subtypes and varying expression levels in extraoral tissues. Molecular recognition by TAS2R subtypes is physiologically important, and presents a challenging case study for ligand-receptor matchmaking. Inspired by hybrid recommendation systems, we developed a new set of similarity features, and created the BitterMatch algorithm that predicts associations of ligands to receptors with ~ 80% precision at ~ 50% recall. Associations for several compounds were tested in-vitro, resulting in 80% precision and 42% recall. The encouraging performance was achieved by including receptor properties and integrating experimentally determined ligand-receptor associations with chemical ligand-to-ligand similarities. BitterMatch can predict off-targets for bitter drugs, identify novel ligands and guide flavor design. The novel features capture information regarding the molecules and their receptors, which could inform various chemoinformatic tasks. Inclusion of neighbor-informed similarities improves as experimental data mounts, and provides a generalizable framework for molecule-biotarget matching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eitan Margulis
- The Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Robert H Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yuli Slavutsky
- Department of Statistics and Data Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Tatjana Lang
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Maik Behrens
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Yuval Benjamini
- Department of Statistics and Data Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Masha Y Niv
- The Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Robert H Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
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6
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Activation of specific bitter taste receptors by olive oil phenolics and secoiridoids. Sci Rep 2021; 11:22340. [PMID: 34785711 PMCID: PMC8595653 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01752-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) is a critical component of the Mediterranean diet, which has been found beneficial to human health. Bitterness is often positively associated with the presence of phenolic compounds in EVOO. There are twenty-five bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs) in humans, each of which responds to specific bitter tastants. The identity of phenolic compounds and the bitter taste receptors they stimulate remain unknown. In this study, we isolated 12 phenolic and secoiridoid compounds from the olive fruit and the oil extracted from it, and tested their ability to stimulate bitter taste receptor activity, using a calcium mobilization functional assay. Our results showed that seven out of twelve studied compounds activated TAS2R8, and five of them activated TAS2R1, TAS2R8, and TAS2R14. The phenolic compounds oleuropein aglycon and ligstroside aglycon were the most potent bitter tastants in olive oil. TAS2R1 and TAS2R8 were the major bitter taste receptors activated most potently by these phenolic compounds. The results obtained here could be utilized to predict and control the bitterness of olive oil based on the concentration of specific bitter phenolics produced during the milling process of olives.
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Ozdener MH, Spielman AI, Wise PM. Sophorolipid Reduces Bitter Taste in Humans
In Vivo
and
In Vitro. J SURFACTANTS DETERG 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jsde.12526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Paul M. Wise
- Monell Chemical Senses Center 3500 Market Street Philadelphia PA 19104 USA
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Bobrova AV, Krasnov PO, Povarov IG, Bobrov PS, Lyubyashkin AV, Suboch GA, Tovbis MS. Facile synthesis and sulfonylation of 4-aminopyrazoles. J Mol Struct 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2021.129912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Quade BN, Parker MD, Occhipinti R. The therapeutic importance of acid-base balance. Biochem Pharmacol 2021; 183:114278. [PMID: 33039418 PMCID: PMC7544731 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2020.114278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Baking soda and vinegar have been used as home remedies for generations and today we are only a mouse-click away from claims that baking soda, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar are miracles cures for everything from cancer to COVID-19. Despite these specious claims, the therapeutic value of controlling acid-base balance is indisputable and is the basis of Food and Drug Administration-approved treatments for constipation, epilepsy, metabolic acidosis, and peptic ulcers. In this narrative review, we present evidence in support of the current and potential therapeutic value of countering local and systemic acid-base imbalances, several of which do in fact involve the administration of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). Furthermore, we discuss the side effects of pharmaceuticals on acid-base balance as well as the influence of acid-base status on the pharmacokinetic properties of drugs. Our review considers all major organ systems as well as information relevant to several clinical specialties such as anesthesiology, infectious disease, oncology, dentistry, and surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca N Quade
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, The State University of New York, The University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
| | - Mark D Parker
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, The State University of New York, The University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA; State University of New York Eye Institute, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Rossana Occhipinti
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
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