title: Preference for sodium chloride is reduced in protein-deprived juvenile rats.
abstract: The influence of dietary protein levels on the preference for sodium chloride was studied in juvenile rats fed diets containing 0, 25 or 50 g purified egg protein/kg and 20.0 mg zinc/kg diet. Preference tests between aqueous solution of NaCl (2-51 mmol/L) or deionized water were conducted. Blood samples were collected for measuring the serum zinc concentration. Scanning electron microscopy was performed to observe the rats' tongue epithelia. Only the rats fed 50 g purified egg protein/kg diet preferred the lowest concentration of 2 mmol/L NaCl solution to deionized water, whereas the rats fed protein-free diet did not discriminate diluted NaCl solution until the concentration was 9 mmol/L. The filiform papillae of the protein-free diet fed group showed significantly less development than the 25 g purified egg protein/kg and the 50 g purified egg protein/kg diet-fed groups. The more protein the diets contained, the higher was the serum concentration of zinc. Significant correlations were observed between protein intake and discriminated NaCl concentration (r = -0.93, P < 0.001), serum zinc (r = 0.90, P < 0.001) or length of filiform papillae (r = 0.93, P < 0.001). The present study suggests that taste preference is impaired by protein malnutrition and this may be related to zinc status.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nutrition, Faculty of Home Economics, Kobe Women's University, Japan.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ohara
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tabuchi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Itokawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005518:Food Preferences; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects; D014059:Tongue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015032:Zinc / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary; D015032:Zinc