Abstract
KCl water preference was examined in diet-replete, sodium-and sodium—potassium-deficient postpubertal rats of different ages. While diet-replete rats displayed a KCl preference-aversion profile similar to that found using other salts, when retested 30 days later, these same animals had no KCl preference. Na-and Na—K-deficient rats preferred KCl over a broad range of concentrations when tested in early postpuberty and the Na—K-deficient group had a markedly reduced KCl preference threshold (0.12%) when compared to all other groups in the study. But Na-and Na—K-deficient rats older by 2 1/2 months did not prefer KCl. The notion of specific food hungers can be invoked to account for some of the preferences. But hedonics, age and KCl experience must also be considered based on (1) the quantities of KCl consumed, (2) the preference reversals within animals, as well as (3) the significantly increased heart—and kidney—body weight ratios in the rats with the greatest KCl preference.
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Cullen, J.W., Scarborough, D.E. Potassium chloride preference in normal, sodium—and sodium—potassium—deficient rats. Conditional Reflex 7, 151–163 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03000214
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03000214