Absence of sodium chloride preference in Fischer-344 rats

Preference for NaCl solutions as a function of concentration was examined in three inbred strains of rats (Munich-Wistar, Buffalo, and Fischer-344) and outbred Wistar rats. Fischer-344 rats were found to differ markedly from the other strains in that they failed to prefer any concentration of NaCl solution to water. This difference did not appear to be due to an insensitivity to the taste of NaCl since they significantly avoided solutions at concentrations (greater than 0.7%) that were strongly preferred by other rat strains. Differences between Fischer-344 and other rat strains also did not appear to be due to a generally anomalous taste system since their intake and preference for prototypes of other basic tastes (sweet, sour, and bitter) were generally similar to those of other strains. Although Fischer-344 rats were somewhat slower than Wistar to excrete a sodium load, it is unlikely that this difference can provide a direct explanation of the aversion of Fischer-344 rats for NaCl.