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Sodium preference and appetite in rats in an operant protocol
Connie L Colbert1, Neil E Rowland
1Psychology Department, University of Florida, P.O. Box 112250, UF, Gainesville, FL 32611-2250, USA.
Physiology & Behavior
|January 11, 2005
Summary
Rats show sodium appetite when given deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA). This study simulated foraging costs, revealing how environmental factors influence the timing and organization of sodium consumption in rats.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Animal Behavior
- Physiology
Background:
- Sodium appetite is crucial for physiological balance.
- Previous studies focused on free-access intake, not the influence of procurement costs.
- Deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) is known to induce sodium appetite.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate Sprague-Dawley rats' choice between water and NaCl solutions under varying procurement costs.
- To examine the induction and temporal organization of sodium appetite during chronic DOCA treatment.
- To simulate natural foraging conditions in a laboratory setting.
Main Methods:
- An operant task was employed to simulate foraging costs for fluid access.
- Rats chose between water and different NaCl concentrations.
- Chronic DOCA administration was used to induce sodium appetite.
Main Results:
- NaCl preference under equal costs matched free-drinking data.
- Increased procurement costs reduced intake bouts but increased bout size for both water and NaCl.
- DOCA administration increased NaCl intake, occurring in discrete, inversely sized episodes.
Conclusions:
- Operant foraging costs affect fluid intake patterns in rats.
- DOCA-induced sodium appetite is organized into discrete episodes.
- This study provides the first lab simulation of environmental factors influencing the temporal organization of sodium appetite.