[Decrease in sucrose solution consumption by CBA/Lac male mice under chronic social stress]

The influence of repeated experience of social defeats in daily agonistic interactions on voluntary consumption of 1% sucrose solution supplemented with vanillin (0.2%) was studied in male mice of CBA/Lac strain with genetic predisposition to catalepsy as compared to depression-predisposed C57BL/6J mice. Intact mice of both strains prefered sucrose solution to water under conditions of two-bottle free choice. Sucrose solution intake was shown to decrease in losers of both strains exposed to social confrontations as compared to controls. It was suggested that the high level of anxiety revealed in mice of both strains can be the determining factor of the decrease in sucrose solution consumption under conditions of chronic social stress.