AJP - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, Vol 255, Issue 6 1020-R1024, Copyright © 1988 by American Physiological Society
Influence of pregnancy and lactation on Na appetite of BALB/c mice
M. McBurnie, D. Denton and E. Tarjan
Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
The effect of pregnancy and lactation on sodium appetite, water, and food
intake of young adult BALB/c mice was studied. Voluntary sodium intake
increased fourfold during the last 3 days of gestation. Water and food
intake and body weight also increased significantly. During the last 14
days of lactation, sodium intake was increased significantly three- to
fivefold, relative to base-line period and a control group. Large
significant increase of water and food intake occurred also during
lactation. After weaning, intake returned to base line. Calculation of
sodium sequestered in young in utero and provided to pups during lactation
showed increased voluntary intake in great excess of metabolic need,
suggestive of hormonal determination of sodium appetite during reproduction
as in wild rabbits.
