Effects of taste on self-stimulation and induced drinking.

Abstract

While self-stimulating, male Wistar rats with electrodes in the lateral hypothalamus, which elicits both self-stimulation and drinking, were presented with quinine and saccharine solutions, and water. Quinine significantly reduced the volume ingested during electrically-induced drinking, whereas saccharin increased the volume. A significant decrease in concurrent self-stimulation rate accompanied electrically-induced drinking of quinine solution and a significant increase accompanied ingestion of saccharine solution. An experiment to study the effects of no water, water and saccharin on self-stimulation rate revealed a significant increase while Ss were drinking water and an additional increase when Ss were drinking saccharine solution. (17 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)