Basis for lactose aversion in the weanling rat.
As reported previously, weanling rats will choose to consume more of a liquid diet composed of 12% lactose (low-L) than of an isocaloric liquid diet composed of 47% lactose (high-L) despite the greater sweetness of the latter diet. To investigate the basis for this, saccharin was added to the high-L diet to overwhelm any unpalatable qualities. The results of several choice tests indicate that pups initially prefer the saccharin-sweetened diet. However, if the low-L diet is the alternate choice, the preference shifts to the low-L diet after several days of exposure. This initial preference for the sweetened high-L diet suggests that the high lactose aversion is due to post-ingestive consequences rather than to low palatability of the high-L diet. Furthermore, it appears that the aversion to a high concentration of lactose takes precedence over a preference for the increased sweetness of the high-L diet.
D000818:Animals; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000187:drug effects; D007785:Lactose; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012439:Saccharin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014886:Weaning
D012439:Saccharin; D007785:Lactose