title: Richter and sodium appetite: from adrenalectomy to molecular biology.
abstract: Nearly three-quarters of a century ago, Curt Richter removed the adrenal glands from rats and noted that the animal's vitality was dependent on its increased consumption of sodium chloride. In doing so, Richter revealed an innate behavioral mechanism that serves to maintain the hydromineral balance of an animal faced with sodium deficit. This experiment and others like it, led to the development of a field of research devoted to the investigation of salt appetite. The following is a discussion of how Richter's initial observations gave birth to an evolving field that incorporates multiple approaches to examine the drive to consume sodium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry-North, University of Cincinnati Med CTR, GRI, Building 43/UC-E 212, Cincinnati, OH 45237, USA.
authors.forename: Eric G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Krause
authors.forename: Randall R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Sakai
mesh_terms: D000315:Adrenalectomy; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000502:physiology; D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001066:Appetite / Q000502:physiology; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D005260:Female; D049673:History, 20th Century; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D012964:Sodium / Q000172:deficiency; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary; D013649:Taste
chemical_list: D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary; D000804:Angiotensin II; D000450:Aldosterone; D012964:Sodium