title: Salty solutions: their effects on thermal set points in behavioral repertoires of albino rats.
abstract: Salt (sodium chloride) has been linked to increased blood pressure and a rise in core body temperature. The objective of this study was to investigate the role played by salt in altering behavioral thermoregulation in albino rats. Different doses of sodium chloride were administered (ip) prior to fixed-interval 2-min. schedules of microwave reinforcement in rats tested in a cold Skinner Box. Three Sprague-Dawley rats were conditioned to regulate their thermal environment with 5-sec. exposures of MW reinforcement in a repeated-measures reversal design. Friedman's non-parametric test showed significant differences among sodium chloride doses and physiologically normal saline. Post hoc sign tests showed that all doses of NaCl suppressed operant behavior for heat except 60 mg/kg. The hypothesis that sodium chloride lowers hypothalamic set point for heat was partially supported.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of South Alabama, Mobile 36688.
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Vitulli
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aker
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Kimball
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Quinn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D012965:Sodium Chloride