Selective pressure on a saccharin intake phenotype and its correlates: A replication study

Chem Senses. 2023 Jun 30:bjad021. doi: 10.1093/chemse/bjad021. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThe Occidental High- and Low-Saccharin rats (respectively, HiS and LoS lines) were selectively bred for decades to examine mechanisms and correlates of a saccharin intake phenotype. Observed line differences ranged from taste and eating to drug self-administration and defensive behavior, paralleling human research on relationships between gustation, personality, and psychopathology. The original lines were terminated in 2019, and replicate lines (HiS-R, LoS-R) were selectively bred for five generations to test for reproducible, rapid selection for the phenotype and its correlates. The line differences chosen for replication included intake of tastants (saccharin, sugars, quinine-adulterated sucrose, sodium chloride, ethanol) and foods (cheese, peas, Spam, chocolate) and several noningestive behaviors (deprivation-induced hyperactivity, acoustic startle, open field behavior). The HiS-R and LoS-R lines diverged on intake of saccharin, disaccharides, quinine-adulterated sucrose, sodium chloride, and complex foods, and open field behavior. Differences from the original lines also were observed. Reasons for and implications of the pattern of replication and lack thereof in five generations are discussed.PMID:37387468 | DOI:10.1093/chemse/bjad021
Source: Chemical Senses - Category: Biochemistry Authors: Source Type: research