Mice stop wanting salt almost instantly when they taste it in their mouth—even before the salt gets into their body—and this happens because a specific brain signal turns off when salt is tasted.
Scientific Claim
In sodium-depleted mice, the acute suppression of prodynorphin-expressing neurons in the pre-locus coeruleus is triggered specifically by oral detection of sodium, not by sodium ingestion or post-oral absorption, and this suppression is necessary for rapid satiation of sodium appetite.
Original Statement
“Sensory detection of sodium, but not sodium ingestion per se, is required for the acute modulation of pre-LC PDYN neurons and satiety of sodium appetite... IG infusion of NaCl... had no inhibitory effect... blocking the sodium taste receptor by amiloride fully abolished NaCl-induced suppression.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
definitive
Can make definitive causal claims
Assessment Explanation
The study directly compares oral vs. gastric sodium delivery using precise neural recordings and pharmacological blockade, establishing a definitive causal link between oral sodium detection and neuronal suppression in mice.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Chemosensory modulation of neural circuits for sodium appetite
When mice taste salt, their brain instantly tells them to stop wanting more—even before the salt is swallowed—because a specific group of brain cells shuts down. The study proved this happens just from tasting, not from swallowing or absorbing the salt.