Effect of Deoxycorticosterone Acetate and Aldosterone on the Salt Appetite of Wild Rabbits [Oryctolagus cuniculus(L.)]

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Abstract
Wild rabbits were maintained in laboratory metabolic cages on a diet with an adequate mineral content, and were Na+ replete as indicated by substantial daily excretion of Na+. They were also offered water and NaCl, KC1, MgCl2 and CaCl2 solutions to drink. With 150 mEq/1 solutions and intramuscular injection of 2 mg DOCA/day, mean daily NaCl consumption increased to 1.3 mEq from a control level of 0.16 mEq. DOCA dosage of 5 mg/day increased daily intake to 3.5 mEq. No significant changes in the drinking of the other solutions occurred with either DOCA dose. When 500 mEq/1 solutions were presented, control daily intake of NaCl was 0.4 mEq. This increased with DOCA doses of 2 or 5 mg daily to 4.3 and 9.5 mEq, respectively. Each of these doses also increased mean CaCl2 consumption to 10.5 mEq/day from a base level of 6.5 mEq/day. Mean KC1 intake increased with the lower dose from 1.1 to 2.2 mEq/day, while the higher dose depressed MgCl2 drinking from 1.6 to 0.2 mEq/day. The injection of 1 mg DOCA daily had no effect on the appetite for any of the solutions. The intramuscular administration of 0.25 and 0.5 mg/day of aldosterone in oil had no effect on voluntary intake of 500 mEq/1 NaCl solution, though the dosage used was probably much higher than aldosterone secretion in severe Na deficiency. Because aldosterone had no effect and the effective doses of DOCA were toxic, the results of this study favor the conclusion that the enhanced Na+ appetite exhibited by Na+-deficient wild rabbits is not primarily the result of increased mineralocorticoid secretion. (Endocrinology87: 970, 1970)

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