Fractionated head and neck irradiation impacts taste progenitors, differentiated taste cells, and Wnt/β-catenin signaling in adult mice.

ABSTRACT: Head and neck cancer patients receiving conventional repeated, low dose radiotherapy (fractionated IR) suffer from taste dysfunction that can persist for months and often years after treatment. To understand the mechanisms underlying functional taste loss, we established a fractionated IR mouse model to characterize how taste buds are affected. Following fractionated IR, we found as in our previous study using single dose IR, taste progenitor proliferation was reduced and progenitor cell number declined, leading to interruption in the supply of new taste receptor cells to taste buds. However, in contrast to a single dose of IR, we did not encounter increased progenitor cell death in response to fractionated IR. Instead, fractionated IR induced death of cells within taste buds. Overall, tas

SUBMITTER: Gaillard D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6884601 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature