Sodium chloride preference is altered in a rat model of liver disease

Rats with ligation of the common bile duct were used to study the effect of liver disease on preferences for sodium chloride solutions. Preferences for NaCl were assessed by 24-hr two-bottle choice (preference) tests in both bile duct ligated (BDL) and control animals. Bile duct ligated animals showed greater preferences for 200 and 300 mM NaCl than either free-feeding or pair-fed control animals. In rats provided with continuous access to a single concentration of 200 mM NaCl both pre- and postligation, BDL animals showed an abrupt change in NaCl preference at day 12 postligation, while control animals showed no alterations in preference during the same time period. The results provide additional support for a role of the liver in determining NaCl solution preference and suggest that the BDL rat may be a useful model for the study of altered gustatory function in liver disease.