Figure 6.

Responses to NaCl are not inhibited by blockers of Cl⁻ channels or Cl⁻ cotransporters. A, Taste buds were focally stimulated with NaCl (350–480 mm) in the absence (left) and presence (middle, shaded) of the broad-spectrum Cl⁻ channel blocker, DIDS (500 μm). Right, The plot summarizes these data. Responses of each cell in the presence of DIDS were normalized to the mean control response amplitude of the same cell. There was no significant effect of DIDS treatment on NaCl response amplitudes (t₍₄₎ = 1.47, p = 0.21, n = 5 cells, 2 mice). Blue error bars indicate mean and 95% CI. n.s. = not significant. B, Taste buds were stimulated with NaCl (480–490 mm) in Tyrode's buffer before (left) and after (middle, shaded) the bath was exchanged for K⁺-free Tyrode's buffer. K⁺ removal had no effect on response amplitudes to NaCl (t₍₄₎ = 0.64, p = 0.56, n = 5 cells, 1 mouse). n.s. = not significant. All points on plots are means of two replicate stimulations. Calibration: A, B, 20 s, 0.5 ΔF/F.