The ontogeny of salt preference in rats

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Abstract
Many mammals eat salt irrespective of need. This behavior, called salt preference or appetite, is studied primarily in adults. Little is known about its ontogeny. In these experiments, 3–18-day-old rat pups were offered saline, quinine, or ammonium chloride solutions by infusion through an anterior oral catheter, and intake was measured. At 6–18 days, pups showed the inverted U-shaped preference-aversion curve for NaCl that is characteristic of adult rats. Thus, rats express a preference for salt at a very early age. However, the curves were broader than the typical adult curve and were shifted along the concentration gradient in an age-related fashion. Consumption of quinine and ammonium chloride showed similar age-related changes. These changes may reflect the postnatal timing of the development of the rat gustatory system.

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