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. 2012 Dec;54(8):818-24.
doi: 10.1002/dev.21047. Epub 2012 May 21.

Saccharin pre-exposure enhances appetitive flavor learning in pre-weanling rats

Susan E Swithers  1 , Sean B Ogden, Alycia F Laboy, T L Davidson
Affiliations

Saccharin pre-exposure enhances appetitive flavor learning in pre-weanling rats

Susan E Swithers et al. Dev Psychobiol. 2012 Dec.

Abstract

In adult rats, data suggest that consumption of sweet tastes that do not deliver anticipated caloric consequences using high-intensity, non-caloric sweeteners, such as saccharin, interferes with learned relations that may contribute to energy balance. The goal of the present study was to assess the development of learning about sweet taste and calories by assessing whether pre-exposure to saccharin solutions reduces cue competition in pre-weanling rats. The results demonstrated that rats pre-exposed to saccharin and then trained with a novel grape flavor paired with a glucose-sweetened solution consumed more of the novel grape flavor presented alone than rats that had been pre-exposed to saccharin and given the grape flavor paired with water alone. No differences in intake of the novel grape flavor were observed in groups given pre-exposure to water or glucose solutions. Thus, by 15 days of age, rats appear to have established an association between sweet tastes and calories, and this association can be weakened by exposure to saccharin.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Solution Intake (expressed as percent body weight) A) during the Exposure phase was highest in animals given glucose, followed by saccharin, then water; B) during the Training phase was higher when the Grape flavor was combined with Glucose (plus) than when combined with Water (minus); C) during the Testing phase was higher in Saccharin animals trained with Glucose (plus) compared to Saccharin animals trained with Water (minus). Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of animals included in each group. Bars with different letters within each panel are significantly different. * p < 0.05 compared to Saccharin Plus animals
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