Drinking-induced changes in fowl adrenocortical activity: effect of visual and non-visual stimuli

Abstract

The deprivation of drinking water for 30 h resulted in increased corticosterone concentrations in the plasma of 8- to 10-week-old chickens. When water-deprived birds were allowed to drink ad libitum the corticosterone concentration declined within 45 min, to the level in hydrated controls, and remained suppressed thereafter. Similar reductions in the corticosterone concentrations were also observed in water-deprived chicks which were allowed to drink for only 5 min, 1 min or 5 s. The involvement of visual stimuli in mediating this adrenocortical response was demonstrated by a comparable decline in the corticosterone concentration in water-deprived birds which were presented with water but not allowed access to it. Non-visual stimuli also appeared to be causally involved in the adrenocortical suppression after drinking, since the intraperitoneal injection of tap water (40 ml per bird) also resulted in a lowering of the corticosterone level. However, in the absence of appropriate reinforcement from metabolic stimuli, a rebound in the corticosterone concentration was observed in birds prevented from drinking, in birds unable to satiate their thirst and in birds rehydrated (orally or intraperitoneally) without feeding. These results demonstrate adrenocortical suppression in water-deprived chickens after free access to food and water and the involvement of visual and non-visual stimuli in mediating this response. The maintenance of adrenocortical suppression is dependent upon metabolic stimuli associated with food and water intake.

Influence of Dehydration Stress on the Adrenal Glands of Two Semi-domesticated Avian Species.

“…In the avian group, conflicting reports are available relating to dehydration-induced changes of corticosterone content. Plasma corticosterone increases following dehydration in turkey (Brown, 1961), chicken (Freeman et al 1983;Harvey et al 1985), fowl (Beuving and Vonder, 1978) and duck (Harvey et al 1981), while in quail (Kobayashi et al 1980) and fowl (Arad et al 1985), water-deprivation failed to alter the plasma corticosterone level.…”