Salt hunger unaffected by cadmium in rats allowed saline solution by choice

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Forty weanling rats were given choices of sodium chloride solution or water to drink until 8.4 months of age and again from 23 months of age until death, half of the rats receiving small doses of cadmium. No differences in intakes appeared in control and cadmium-fed groups. Young females drank two and one-half times as much salt solution as did males and older ones five times as much. When not exposed to salt, fluid intake of females remained elevated; that of males did not. Upon re-exposure, intake of salt solution by females almost doubled from previous levels, but changed little in males. Excessive intakes of more than 180 mg NaCl/100 g body wt. daily appeared in 6 of 20 older females, whereas 10 of 14 males exhibited aversion to salt. Young female rats allowed salt solution or water rapidly acquire salt hunger which may become excessive later in life.

This publication has 7 references indexed in Scilit: