Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Salt appetite: its neuroendocrine basis

E Stellar1

  • 1Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104-6058.

Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis
|January 1, 1993
PubMed
Summary

Salt appetite is innate, driven by hormones like aldosterone and angiotensin II in the brain. Repeated salt depletion enhances this appetite, particularly in female rats.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The physiology of motivation. 1954.

Psychological review·1994
Same author

Curt P. Richter - February 20, 1894-December 21, 1988.

Biographical memoirs. National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)·1994
Same author

Bite size, ingestion rate, and meal size in lean and obese women.

Appetite·1993
Same author

Stress and the individual. Mechanisms leading to disease.

Archives of internal medicine·1993
Same author

Real eating and the measurement of real physiological and behavioral variables.

Appetite·1992
Same author

In memoriam. Alan N. Epstein.

Appetite·1992

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Physiology
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Early research established salt appetite in adrenalectomized rats drinking saline.
  • Salt appetite is innate, not learned.
  • Later studies identified key hormonal influences: aldosterone and angiotensin II.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate the roles of aldosterone and angiotensin II in salt appetite.
  • Examine the effects of repeated salt depletion on salt intake.
  • Explore sex differences in salt appetite.
  • Elucidate the neural circuitry underlying salt appetite.

Main Methods:

  • Hormone manipulation in the brain (blocking aldosterone and angiotensin II).
  • Induction of salt depletion in rats.
  • Observation of salt intake behavior.
  • Lesion studies targeting specific brain areas (amygdala, third ventricle wall).

Main Results:

  • Blocking brain aldosterone or angiotensin II halved depletion-induced salt appetite; blocking both eliminated it.
  • Repeated salt depletions significantly enhanced salt appetite, even without prior salt access.
  • Chronic salt appetite developed with multiple depletions.
  • Female rats exhibited nearly double the salt intake of males and showed greater enhancement after depletions.

Conclusions:

  • Salt appetite is a complex, innate behavior influenced by the synergistic action of brain aldosterone and angiotensin II.
  • Prior salt depletion can lead to chronically elevated salt appetite.
  • Significant sex differences exist in salt appetite regulation.
  • Neural circuits involving the amygdala and anterior third ventricle are crucial for mediating these hormonal effects on salt intake.

Related Experiment Videos