OROPHARYNGEAL CONTROL OF PRANDIAL DRINKING

H. R. Kissileff and A. N. Epstein (see 43:5) demonstrated that prandial drinking occurs in the neurologically normal rat forced to eat dry food without saliva and is exaggerated in the recovered lateral rat by increasing mouth dryness. In this study 4 intact, 4 neurologically normal desalivate, and 4 recovered lateral rats were Ss. Prandial drinking is abolished by decreasing mouth dryness with injections of water in .015-.05 ml. aliquots directly into the S's mouth each time the S ate a 45-mg pellet of dry food. Injecting water in similar volumes on the same schedule directly into the stomach had no significant effect on water intake in prandial drinkers, but reduced water intake in intact Ss in proportion to the load. Prandial drinking is therefore controlled by oropharyngeal sensations, not requirements for body water. (19 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1969 American Psychological Association.