Suckling in newborn rats: eliminated by nipple lavage, reinstated by pup saliva.
Chemical lavage of the nipples of anesthetized maternal rats virtually eliminated suckling by their 4- to 5-day-old pups. Normal suckling was immediately reinstated, however, by painting a vacuum distillate of the wash or of pup saliva onto the nipples. Thus, a substance necessary to direct and release suckling, possibly rat pup saliva, appears to coat the nipple surface.
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology; D001940:Breast / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D009558:Nipples / Q000502:physiology*; D009812:Odorants; D051381:Rats; D012463:Saliva / Q000502:physiology*; D013391:Sucking Behavior / Q000502:physiology*