Taste bud-like structures in penile tissues and a predictive neural mechanism of male orgasm: A preliminary hypothesis based on histological evidence

• Published in: Neurology, psychiatry, and brain research Vol. 20; no. 3; pp. 55 - 62
• Main Authors: Aydın, Mehmet Dumlu, Aydın, Nazan, Dane, Şenol, Gündoğdu, Cemal, Gürsan, Nesrin, Akçay, Fatih, Serarslan, Yurdal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier GmbH 01.09.2014
• Subjects: Neural mechanism; Orgasm; Penil tissue; Taste buds; Urethra; Taste buds; Orgasm; Urethra; Penil tissue; Neural mechanism
• ISSN: 0941-9500
• DOI: 10.1016/j.npbr.2014.06.003

The basic mechanism of orgasmic pleasure has not yet been elucidated, although there is a broad similarity between taste and orgasmic sensation. Taste buds of the tongue stimulated by tastants have been well described, and taste information has been established as an important regulator of food selection and nutrition. However, very little is known regarding how pleasure sensation is created and perceived in an orgasm. Thus, we investigated whether there were taste bud-like structures stimulated by seminal fructose in the male urethra and glans penis. To confirm this hypothesis, we examined the urethral tissues of 22 male rabbits using modern histological techniques. We discovered that the male urethra and glans penis contained many taste bud-like structures similar to the morphological features of the taste buds of the tongue. Interestingly, these taste bud-like structures resembling those of the tongue were detected in the intramural openings of the urethral lacunae and glandular surfaces. These structures have neuron-like appendages at the apical ends of rose buds in the wall of the urethra and glans. Moreover, each urethral plica contained some taste buds that were particularly more dense in the distal urethra and glans penis. We hypothesized that the pelvic autonomous nerves innervated both the urethral and glans taste buds and conveyed orgasmic sensation from the urethral taste buds to the taste information-computing centers in the brain. We postulated that urethral taste buds are stimulated by seminal fructose, and supplying nerves may play a predominant role in the creation of orgasmic sensation, which has not yet been well studied thus far.