Faculty mentor/PI email address
kumari@rowan.edu
Keywords
sepsis, taste organ, loss of taste, inflammatory response
IRB or IACUC Protocol Number
2020-1247
Date of Presentation
5-6-2026 12:00 AM
Poster Abstract
Background:
Sepsis triggers a complex and widespread inflammatory response that disrupts multiple organ systems, including the taste organ. Loss of taste is a symptom recognized in sepsis survivors and has the potential to contribute to further complications such as anorexia. Prior work from our lab demonstrated that cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) in mice induces immune cell infiltration and alters taste bud morphology in the fungiform papillae located in the anterior tongue. We hypothesize that similar deleterious effects occur in the circumvallate papillae (CVP) of the posterior tongue and that the usage of the smoothened inhibitor, sonidegib, could reduce these disruptions.
Methods:
Adult mice underwent CLP or sham surgery, with a subset receiving oral sonidegib (20 mg/kg) for eight days followed by the CLP procedure. Tongue tissues were collected and cryosections were stained with select markers for immunofluorescence analysis of total taste buds (K19), type II taste cells (PLCβ2), and type III taste cells (SNAP25), as well as a qPCR assessment of inflammatory markers.
Results:
CLP resulted in a reduction in total CVP taste buds along with decreases in type II and type III taste cells per taste bud. Taste bud area showed a slight decline, while perimeter remained unchanged. Sonidegib treatment recovered total taste bud count following CLP and reduced expression of inflammatory markers compared with untreated CLP mice.
Conclusion:
These findings indicate that sepsis induced inflammation disrupts the entire tongue contributing to loss of taste. Sonidegib shows potential to rescue taste bud count and reduce inflammation, suggesting a possible therapeutic avenue for sepsis-associated taste dysfunction. Future studies should expand sample size, extend post-CLP time, and incorporate behavioral taste assessments to further evaluate functional recovery.
Disciplines
Bacterial Infections and Mycoses | Medicine and Health Sciences | Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases
Sonidegib (LDE225) Reduces Inflammatory Signaling and Preserves Taste Buds in a Sepsis Mouse Model
Background:
Sepsis triggers a complex and widespread inflammatory response that disrupts multiple organ systems, including the taste organ. Loss of taste is a symptom recognized in sepsis survivors and has the potential to contribute to further complications such as anorexia. Prior work from our lab demonstrated that cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) in mice induces immune cell infiltration and alters taste bud morphology in the fungiform papillae located in the anterior tongue. We hypothesize that similar deleterious effects occur in the circumvallate papillae (CVP) of the posterior tongue and that the usage of the smoothened inhibitor, sonidegib, could reduce these disruptions.
Methods:
Adult mice underwent CLP or sham surgery, with a subset receiving oral sonidegib (20 mg/kg) for eight days followed by the CLP procedure. Tongue tissues were collected and cryosections were stained with select markers for immunofluorescence analysis of total taste buds (K19), type II taste cells (PLCβ2), and type III taste cells (SNAP25), as well as a qPCR assessment of inflammatory markers.
Results:
CLP resulted in a reduction in total CVP taste buds along with decreases in type II and type III taste cells per taste bud. Taste bud area showed a slight decline, while perimeter remained unchanged. Sonidegib treatment recovered total taste bud count following CLP and reduced expression of inflammatory markers compared with untreated CLP mice.
Conclusion:
These findings indicate that sepsis induced inflammation disrupts the entire tongue contributing to loss of taste. Sonidegib shows potential to rescue taste bud count and reduce inflammation, suggesting a possible therapeutic avenue for sepsis-associated taste dysfunction. Future studies should expand sample size, extend post-CLP time, and incorporate behavioral taste assessments to further evaluate functional recovery.