EFFECT OF NEPHRECTOMY ON ADDITIVITY OF CERTAIN STIMULI OF DRINKING IN RAT

Ligation of the abdominal inferior vena cava just above the renal veins, or hemorrhage, caused drinking of additional amounts of water by male albino rats previously deprived of water. Extra drinking was not seen when nephrectomy was performed after the period of water deprivation just before the caval ligation or hemorrhage. Caval ligation also caused additional drinking in Ss injected with hypertonic saline or sucrose. This extra drinking together with the extreme oliguria caused by caval ligation resulted in more water being retained in the S than required to restore the body fluids to isotonicity. The S made anuric by bilateral nephrectomy did not show this extra drinking nor did it respond to caval ligation with any further increase in water intake. The kidney therefore plays a role in drinking not connected with its excretory function when the S is subjected to certain combinations of drinking stimuli. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1969 American Psychological Association.