Changes in sucrose and quinine taste reactivity patterns after exposure to the other tastant

SUAREZ, ANDREA; IFRÁN, MARÍA CELESTE; PAUTASSI, RICARDO; KAMENETZKY, GISELLE

APPETITE

ACADEMIC PRESS LTD-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2017 vol. 114 p. 259 - 264

0195-6663

The taste reactivity test is considered as an objective measure to assess the hedonic impact of tastes. Both the appetitive and aversive pattern responses are plastic and can change based on previous experience. The present study assessed the repertoire of taste responses elicited by sucrose and quinine in preweanling rats, and described changes in these taste reactivity patterns after exposure to the other tastant. We exposed infant rats (17 days old at the start of training) to sweet (2% sucrose) or bitter (0.01% quinine) tastants during 4, 10 min trials in two different random sequences. The subjects were weighed before and after each trial to provide a measure of percent body weight gained. The following taste reactivity responses were registered: duration of mouthing and paw lick, frequency of chin rub, head shake and flailing of the forelimbs, frequency and duration of face washing, wall climbing and paw tread. The consummatory and affective taste responses changed depending on the order in which the solutions were administered. Pups stimulated with sucrose after quinine exhibited, when compared to peers given sucrose before quinine, a significant increase in the hedonic response of mouthing and a significant decrease in the dislike responses of chin rubbing, paw treading and flailing of forelimbs. The order of exposure to the tastants did not affect the levels of sucrose intake. Conversely, when pups received sucrose before quinine both consumption and affective responses evidenced significant alterations. This research contributes to the analysis of taste reactivity responses during the early ontogeny of the rat and highlights the importance of previous experiences on the subsequent assessment of rewards.