By 3 News online staff

Scientists in the United States have discovered that testicles have taste buds – and they are necessary for reproduction.

The taste receptors are also present in the anus, and can detect both sweet and savoury flavours.

Researchers at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia made the discovery after trying to breed mice without the cells as part of a study on taste.

Male mice were rendered infertile when they were missing the proteins GNAT3 and TAS1R3 or given treatment to stop them working.

"The males are sterile, their sperm count is low, and spermatozoa are not developed properly," researcher Bedrich Mosinger told Business Insider.

Mr Mosinger also said the drug used to block the taste buds was similar to drugs used to treat high cholesterol, meaning common medications could be interfering with fertility.

"We now need to identify the pathways and mechanisms in testes that utilise these taste genes so we can understand how their loss leads to infertility," said fellow researcher Robert Margolskee.

The findings could lead to new possible cures for infertility, or potentially a male birth control pill.

3 News

source: newshub archive