A sugar and electrolyte drinking solution for long-term maintenance of adrenalectomized rats

Adrenalectomized rats maintained on a diet containing the normal concentration of electrolytes and given physiological saline to drink had low growth rates and abnormal serum electrolytes. The presence of 29 mM (10 g/liter) sucrose in the drinking solution stimulated the animals to drink. The enhanced drinking resulted in an increase in the growth rate and improved the animals electrolyte status. This treatment was used to maintain adrenalectomized rats for more than 16 weeks and adrenalectomized-diabetic rats for 8 weeks.