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Placeboeffekten; att få klinisk effekt av inaktiv behandling är ett fenomen som tilldrar sig allt större intresse. Trots att mekanismerna bakom effekten ännu är långt ifrån helt klarlagda så finns en stor mängd forskning som visar att placebobehandling på olika vis kan vara av klinisk relevans. Bland de mest imponerande demonstrationerna av placeboeffekten är de experiment som visar att s.k. klassisk betingning kan påverka immunförsvaret. Experiment har visat att detta är möjligt både hos gnagare och människor: en medicin administreras samtidigt som ett neutralt gustatoriskt stimulus i vad som kallas betingningsfasen. När denna genomförts kan associationen mellan smak och farmakologisk effekt vara så stark att samma smak, på egen hand, kan framkalla nämnd effekt. I detta arbete sammanfattas kort begrepp och forskning kring placebo i allmänhet och betingad placebo i synnerhet. Vetenskapliga belägg för betingad placebos förmåga till immunpåverkan granskas, och det mesta tyder på att sådan är möjlig i praktiken. Därefter diskuteras möjliga kliniska tillämpningar av betingad placebo i form av medicinsk dosreduktion. Avslutningsvis följer en kort genomgång av det stora kunskapsgapet mellan beläggen för denna dosreduktions kliniska relevans, och dess lämplighet inom konventionell vård.

Cholecystokinin (CCK) is - a multifunctional peptide hormone that is widely distributedthroughout the body. Initially discovered as a gut hormone, CCK is important in integrating many digestive functions. In the nervous system cholecystokinin functions as a neurotransmitter or neuromodulator. It is also considered by many to be a naturally occurring satiety factor, important for the termination of a meal. Recently, our lab has identified the presence of CCK-like immunoreactivity in taste receptor cells of Sprague-Dawley rats. Preliminary in situ hybridization experiments appeared to demonstrate that the mRNA for cholecystokinin may also be expressed in the lingual epithelium and the taste cells of the circumvallate and foliate papillae of the rat tongue. To provide confirrnatory evidence for the presence of CCK in taste epithelium and to investigate its role in taste receptor cells, we further examined the expression of cholecystokinin mRNA in rat lingual epithelium using Northern blot analysis and RT-PCR. Northern analysis proved to be difficult using standard non-radiographic techniques and small oligonucleotide (35 bp) probes. Generating a 535 by radio-labeled probe with random primed labeling, Northern analysis demonstrated positive bands in control tissue (cerebral cortex and duodenum) but failed to demonstrate binding to lingual tissue. Since expression of CCK mRNA in taste cells could be below the level of detection of Northern analysis, the more sensitive technique of RT-PCR was employed. Similar results were obtained with RT-PCR PCR products were observed in cortical and duodenal tissues, but not in gustatory tissue. Therefore immunocytochemical and in situ hybridization results appear to be in conflict with those obtained with Northern and RT-PCR techniques. There remain many caveats in the collective interpretation of these results and further experimentation, particularly with probes designed to hybridize with differing regions of the CCK gene, will be required to more fully understand the putative presence and processing the CCK mRNA in taste receptor cells. / Department of Biology

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The purpose of the research conducted in this thesis was two-fold. First, it was to examine the impact of temporal processing on the capability of participants to determine the order of perception and the identity of components in mixtures of three tastants. Secondly, it was to determine if interaction occurs between the two modalities of taste and olfaction, and to determine the capacity of humans to identify the components of taste-odour mixtures. Overall, the results of the studies provide new information about the capacity of humans to analyse chemosensory mixtures, which can be applied in studies of the impact of real food components. / Master of Science (Hons)