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Behavioral and neural gustatory responses in rabbit.

R J Contreras, E Bird, D J Weisz

Physiology & Behavior

|May 1, 1985

Summary

Rabbits show distinct taste preferences and aversions, with a strong preference for KCl and aversion to saccharin, differing from other mammals. Neural recordings reveal specific chorda tympani nerve sensitivities to various taste stimuli.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Sensory Biology
Animal Behavior

Background:

Understanding taste perception is crucial for studying appetite regulation.
Previous research has established taste preferences in various mammals, but rabbit-specific data is less comprehensive.
The chorda tympani nerve plays a significant role in transmitting taste information from the anterior tongue.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the taste preferences and chorda tympani nerve sensitivity in rabbits.
To provide data for potential use in taste and appetite studies.
To compare rabbit taste responses with those of rats and hamsters.

Main Methods:

Adult male New Zealand rabbits underwent two-bottle preference tests with water and various taste solutions (NaCl, KCl, sucrose, sodium saccharin, quinine hydrochloride, HCl).
Multiunit discharges of the chorda tympani nerve were recorded in response to the same taste stimuli.
Behavioral and neural data were analyzed and compared to existing data from rats and hamsters.

Main Results:

Rabbits preferred sucrose and avoided quinine and HCl, as expected.
Unexpectedly, rabbits showed a mild preference for NaCl, a stronger preference for KCl, and an aversion to sodium saccharin.
The chorda tympani nerve was highly sensitive to KCl, NaCl, and quinine, but not sucrose, HCl, or saccharin, with higher responsiveness to KCl than NaCl.

Conclusions:

Rabbit taste preferences, particularly for salts and artificial sweeteners, differ significantly from those observed in rats and hamsters.
The chorda tympani nerve's sensitivity patterns correlate with observed behavioral responses, though complex responses to NaCl and saccharin suggest intricate neural processing.
These findings highlight the unique gustatory system of rabbits and its potential as a model for taste and appetite research.

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