Tumor-induced diet aversions persist after successful excision of an anorexigenic tumor.
LTW(m) Leydig cell tumors were removed from Wistar Furth rats after the animals had developed anorexia and strong aversions to a novel diet consumed during tumor growth. Previous studies had reported recovery from anorexia within 24-48 hr of tumor excision but had not measured diet preference to find out if food aversions persisted beyond recovery. In the present study, which allowed the rats to choose freely between the aversive diet and a nonaversive diet for several weeks, aversions persisted from four to 25+ days. No signs of anorexia were evident during this testing phase, which followed 10 days of post-operative recuperation in which the rats were restricted to a diet of familiar laboratory chew. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that certain anorexigenic tumors, such as the LTW(m), can substantially affect food selection long after their direct effects on appetite have dissipated.
D000818:Animals; D000855:Anorexia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D004032:Diet; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000502:physiology*; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats