Effect of chronic intake of sweet substance on nociceptive thresholds and feeding behavior of Rattus norvegicus (Rodentia, Muridae)

Nutr Neurosci. 2005 Apr;8(2):129-40. doi: 10.1080/10284150500069413.

Abstract

The investigation of the influence of sweetened food on feeding behavior targeted to non-sucrose nutrients as well as the sensitivity to painful stimuli in isolated and grouped animals is the aim of the present work. The tail withdrawal latencies in the tail-flick test (a spinal reflex) were measured before and immediately after the treatment with tap water or sucrose (62, 125 or 250 g/l). Our findings suggest that: (a) The analgesic effect of sucrose intake depends on the concentration of sucrose solution and on the time during which the solution is consumed; (b) the most effective concentration of sucrose followed by antinociceptive effect was the one of 250 g/l in both isolated and grouped animals; (c) considering the individually caged rats, the intake of sucrose in the highest concentration (250 g/l) was the smallest as compared with the consumption of sucrose in more diluted solutions (62.5 and 125 g/l), but this higher sweetened solution was followed by antinociception; (d) animals treated with concentrated sucrose solution ate smaller quantities of pellets than animals treated with tap water; (e) tonic intake of highly concentrated sweet substance seems to be crucial for the increase of the nociceptive threshold in our model of sweet substance-induced antinociception.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Analgesia*
  • Animals
  • Dietary Sucrose / administration & dosage*
  • Drinking
  • Eating / drug effects*
  • Male
  • Nociceptors / physiology
  • Pain Measurement
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Solutions
  • Tail
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Dietary Sucrose
  • Solutions