Preoperative saccharine experience and postoperative fluid preference in adrenalectomized rats

Abstract

The loss of sodium via the urine in adrenalectomized rats is associated with increased salt appetite which is usually sufficient to keep the animal free from the symptoms of salt deficiency. Richter (1947) concluded that when a particular dietary item is missing. the rat promptly demonstrates a "specific hunger" for that substance. Others have argued that compensatory appetitive choices do not necessarily occur immediately following the development of a nutritional need (Scott & Verney. 1947). Harriman (1955) reinforced these conclusions by showing that rats given the opportunity to establish a strong preoperative preference for sugar over salt maintained the sugar preference subsequent to adrenalectomy and failed to manifest the usual increase in salt consumption. Even in the presence of an NaCI solution. several adrenalectomized rats died and survivors displayed marked weight losses. Since these results contradict most of the popular thinking about salt seeking in the adrenalectomized rat and. indeed. question the validity of the specific hunger hypothesis. further investigation seemed warranted.The purpose of the present study was to test the prediction that animals given the opportunity to establish a preference for a nonnutrient sweet solution. such as saccharine. would maintain this preference subsequent to adrenalectomy. Saccharine was cbosen so that hypoglycemia (one of the effects of adrenalectomy) would not be reflected in the choice of solution. SUIII.cts II" AIIIII'ltllThe 24 male albino rats of the Dublin strain (Dublin. Va.) were 120 days old at the start of experimentation.All Sa were maintained ad lib on a Na deficient diet (Hartroft formula. General Biochemicals) which contained 4.3 mg of Na per 100 g. The standard food cup at the rear of each cage was filled daily.The experimental animals received saccharine and salt solutions preoperatively while the controls received only distilled water. Concentrations of 0.9% NaCI and 0.1% calcium saccharine were mixed on a

Salt seeking by means of food and fluid selection in adrenalectomized rats

“…Rats in a free-choice situation prefer sodium chloride solution of various concentrations to tap water. The response of salt seeking following adrenalectomy is a highly reliable one, and will persist in spite of irradiation (Cullen, 1969), established sugar (Grimsley, 1970) or saccharine (Grimsley & Fisher, 1967) preference, and preoperative aversion to similar substances (Frumkin, 1971).Studies on salt seeking in rats when the salt was in food, not solution, have further explored the generality of this consummatory behavior. Fregly, Harper, and Radford (1965) studied the NaCI intake of salt-deprived rats when given a choice between distilled water and a solution while the salt content of the food was varied.…”

“…Rats in a free-choice situation prefer sodium chloride solution of various concentrations to tap water. The response of salt seeking following adrenalectomy is a highly reliable one, and will persist in spite of irradiation (Cullen, 1969), established sugar (Grimsley, 1970) or saccharine (Grimsley & Fisher, 1967) preference, and preoperative aversion to similar substances (Frumkin, 1971).…”

Interaction of LiCl aversion and sodium-specific hunger in the adrenalectomized rat.

“…2 Requests for reprints should be sent to Kenneth Frumkin, Department of Psychology, Montreal 110,Quebec,Canada. maintained their preference for sucrose postoperatively, in spite of weight loss and even death for some subjects. However, several attempts to either replicate or extend Harriman's (1955) findings have failed to show any influence of preoperatively established preferences on postadrenalectomy salt seeking (Cullen & Scarborough, 1969;Grimsley & Cullen, 1968;Grimsley & Fisher, 1967;and especially Grimsley, 1970).…”