Salt appetite in the pigeon in response to pharmacological treatments

1. In response to furosemide-induced sodium depletion pigeons showed a robust salt appetite. Following the 1st depletion they started to ingest 3% NaCl after a latency of 373 +/- 69 s and in 24 h they took 21.16 +/- 3.07 ml of this solution (vs. a daily mean intake of 1-2 ml prior to the depletion). 2. The appetite was selective as shown by the fact that when, after depletion, 0.34 M-CaCl2 was offered (which is equiosmotic to 3% NaCl) pigeons took just a trivial amount of it. 3. Analysis of sodium losses following the natriuretic treatment revealed that pigeons respond to sodium depletion with an excessive overconsumption of NaCl solution. In the 2 h after access to salt they took about 3 times the amount of sodium lost. 4. Repeated sodium depletions sharply reduced the latency to the ingestion of salt and produced larger intakes. However, the overall amount of salt taken in 24 h after the later depletions was very similar and statistically indistinguishable from that taken following the 1st depletion. 5. Subchronic deoxycorticosterone acetate treatment (2 mg pigeon-1 day-1 I.M.) increased daily 3% NaCl intake, but large variability was observed in the response. 4 mg pigeon-1 day-1 evoked a reliable 3% NaCl intake which was particularly marked from the 5th day of the treatment. 6. Pulse intracerebroventricular (I.C.V.) injection of purified hog renin evoked water intake within about 1 min of injection, followed (about 6 h later) by increased salt intake. In the 24 h after renin injection pigeons took 16.58 +/- 2.89 ml of 3% NaCl. On the 2nd day following injection salt intake was still higher than in controls. 7. In conclusion, our results show that pigeons respond to sodium depletion with a robust salt appetite. Moreover, salt appetite can be evoked by deoxycorticosterone acetate as well as by renin. These findings suggest that in the pigeon salt appetite may be an endocrine-induced behaviour controlled by mineralocorticoids and by the renin-angiotensin system.