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The Effect of a Preoperative Preference for Sugar over Salt upon Compensatory Salt Selection by Adrenalectomized Rats¹

One Figure

Department of Psychology, Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, Pennsylvania

This experiment was undertaken to test the prediction that the typical postoperative increase in salt selection by adrenalectomized rats may be delayed or prevented by a preoperatively established irrelevant sugar preference.

Under the first experimental condition, two groups of laboratory rats were given continuous access to a salt and to a sugar solution for an 18 to 20-day period. Under the second condition, two other groups were given distilled water during this period. At the end of the period, one group under the first condition and one group under the second condition were bilaterally adrenalectomized; the two remaining groups were sham adrenalectomized. All 4 groups were then given access to a salt and to a sugar solution for a 15-day period. Weights and fluid intakes were recorded daily during this interval for the members of each group.

The results appear to confirm the prediction. Laboratory rats given opportunity to establish a strong preoperative preference for sugar over salt maintain the preference subsequent to adrenalectomy and fail to manifest an increase in salt intakes. During the 15-day postoperative period, these rats (1) ingested significantly less of the salt solution than did adrenalectomized rats without the preoperatively established sugar preference and (2) ingested no more salt than did either of the sham adrenalectomized groups. As a consequence of this failure to increase salt intake, several of the rats died and marked weight losses occurred in the survivors.

Manuscript received 14 April 1955.