EARLY EFFECTS OF DESALIVATION UPON FLUID CONSUMPTION AND TASTE ACUITY IN THE RAT

Previous studies have clearly demonstrated that desalivation produces long-term changes in preference behavior of rats; however, the early effects and time course of such changes are unclear. Desalivate and control rats were tested in a two-bottle, 24-hr preference paradigm with 0.15 M and 0.30 M potassium chloride, 2.5 × 10-3 M hydrochloric acid, and 1.28 × 10-6 M quinine sulfate, starting on the day of desalivation and continuing for 40 or 49 days. Several effects were seen. The totally desalivated rats manifested significantly decreased aversion to all the solutions. The decreased aversion occurred within the first 48 to 96 hr after desalivation. The changes in fluid intake and preference behavior were not dependent upon the increased water consumption frequently observed in desalivated rats as total volume intakes in controls and desalivates were similar. Finally, the alterations observed changed over time after desalivation. These changes in preference behavior and fluid intake seem related to alterations in gustatory acuity and suggest that saliva plays a major role in some aspect(s) of gustation. © 1979 Academic Press, Inc.