Consumption of sodium chloride and lithium chloride in normal rats and in rats with septal lesions

Abstract

Rats were trained to consume their daily fluid requirements by drinking a dilute (.077 M) NaCl solution during a 20-min test session. In Experiment I. an equimolar solution of LiCl was introduced on test days. Following the first exposure to LiCl. conditioned aversion to NaCl was observed. With repeated exposures, the conditioned aversion declined and the rats learned to discriminate the LiCl during the test session, suggesting that the onset of the aversive consequences of LiCl ingestion was rapid. Experiment II, which was designed to measure the time course of the onset of LiCl illness, confirmed the results of Experiment I. In both experiments, rats with septal lesions were more reactive to the aversive postingestive effects of LiCl. In Experiment III, taste differences were introduced by changing the concentration of the LiCl. Rats with septal lesions were more reactive to these differences in taste. © 1973, Psychonomic Society, Inc.. All rights reserved.