AJP - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, Vol 265, Issue 6 1480-R1484, Copyright © 1993 by American Physiological Society

ARTICLES

Latent learning about calcium and sodium

S. E. Coldwell and M. G. Tordoff
Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104-6196.

We used the latent-learning paradigm to examine whether replete rats can recognize sodium and calcium and whether they use that knowledge to guide consumption when subsequently mineral deprived. Rats fed a nutritionally complete diet received four pairs of 17-h training trials. During one trial of each pair, the rats drank grape- or cherry-flavored water; during the other, they drank the other flavor mixed with 100 mM CaCl2 (experiment 1), 750 mM NaCl (experiment 2), or 584 mM (20% wt/vol) sucrose (experiment 3). The rats were then fed nutritionally complete, calcium-deficient, or sodium-deficient diet for 3 wk and were given a two-bottle preference test between the two flavors. Relative to rats fed complete diet, calcium-deprived rats had elevated preferences for calcium- and sodium-paired flavors but not sucrose-paired flavors. Sodium-deprived rats had elevated preferences only for sodium-paired flavors. These results provide evidence for the existence of innate calcium and sodium appetites in calcium-deprived rats. They indicate that these distinct appetites are centrally generated behaviors and are not simply due to peripheral alterations in taste perception.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. G. Tordoff Calcium: Taste, Intake, and Appetite Physiol Rev, October 1, 2001; 81(4): 1567 - 1597. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. G. Tordoff, R. L. Hughes, and D. M. Pilchak Calcium intake by rats: influence of parathyroid hormone, calcitonin, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, January 1, 1998; 274(1): R214 - R231. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]