## 3 Results  
The examination of horizontal sections of CVP stained with H&E revealed notable findings in the taste buds of the STZ subgroup. Specifically, these taste buds showed a relative loss of cellular content, a deviation from their usual morphology (inverted cone), and a scarcity of taste pores, as evident in Figure 2a. In contrast, the taste buds of both subgroups within the healthy group exhibited a dense packing of cells (Figure 2c,d), maintaining their typical inverted cone shape, with a clear delineation of taste pores and an organized arrangement of TRCs, supporting cells, and basal cells. These are considered the normal features of healthy taste buds, and are crucial for proper taste sensation. Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that the taste buds in the STZ/4 HR subgroup (Figure 2b) displayed relatively similar characteristics to those observed in the healthy group, suggesting 4-HR has a protective effect on the structural integrity of taste buds amidst DM-induced challenges. In this study, the researchers investigated the number of taste bud pores and the presence of apoptotic taste bud cells in different experimental groups. The control group exhibited a mean of 39.6 \(\pm\) 14.3 taste bud pores per square millimeter, which was significantly different from the 4 HR, STZ, and STZ/4 HR groups, with means of 33.7 \(\pm\) 14.2,  
Figure 2: Photomicrographs of H&E-stained taste buds in the circumvallate papillae. In image (**a**), degenerative changes can be observed, along with a scarcity of taste pores (arrowhead). Conversely, images (**b–d**) showcase taste buds that are densely packed with cells (yellow arrows) and exhibit multiple taste pores (arrows). (**a**) Diabetic control subgroup (STZ); (**b**) diabetic experimental subgroup (STZ/4 HR); (**c**) healthy control subgroup (control) and (**d**) healthy experimental subgroup (4 HR). (Original magnification, \(\times\)200, bar = 50 \(\upmu\)m). 20.3 \(\pm\) 6.1, and 28.0 \(\pm\) 8.3 taste bud pores per square millimeter, respectively (Figure 3). This observation indicates a significant variation among the groups (\(p\) = 0.007). Specifically, the difference between the control and STZ groups was found to be statistically significant (\(p\) = 0.005) through a post hoc test. This study also examined the presence of TUNEL+ cells, which are indicative of apoptotic taste bud cells, in the different groups. The diabetic group, particularly the STZ subgroup, exhibited a higher number of TUNEL+ cells, especially in the epithelium surrounding the trench (Figure 4). The quantitative analysis revealed that the mean number of apoptotic taste bud cells per taste bud profile was 1.8 \(\pm\) 0.9, 1.3 \(\pm\) 0.9, 3.2 \(\pm\) 1.6, and 1.1 \(\pm\) 0.7 in the control, 4 HR, STZ, and STZ/4 HR subgroups, respectively. The difference among these groups was statistically significant (\(p\) = 0.001). Furthermore, the post hoc test revealed that the STZ group exhibited significantly higher levels of TUNEL+ cells compared to the control, 4 HR, and STZ/4 HR groups (\(p\) = 0.049, 0.003, and 0.001, respectively). Overall, the findings of this study suggest that both the number of taste bud pores and the presence of apoptotic taste bud cells vary significantly across the different experimental groups. These differences were particularly notable in the STZ subgroup of the diabetic group. These results contribute to our understanding of the impact of diabetes on taste bud physiology and emphasize the importance of further investigation into the potential effects of diabetes on taste perception and gustatory function. Additional research on the underlying mechanisms of these observations is warranted to establish a clearer understanding of these phenomena. Figure 3: Comparison of the number of taste bud pores across different experimental groups. The control group showed a mean of 39.6 \(\pm\) 14.3 pores/mm\({}^{2}\). In contrast, the 4 HR, STZ, and STZ/4 HR groups exhibited means of 33.7 \(\pm\) 14.2, 20.3 \(\pm\) 6.1, and 28.0 \(\pm\) 8.3 pores/mm\({}^{2}\), respectively.