Hypobaric hypoxia and hedonic matrix in rats.
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Abstracto
This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of continuous exposure to hypobaric hypoxia on the feeding behavior and taste responses of rats, under simulated conditions of a high altitude (HA) of 7,620 m for 21 h a day and consecutively for 18 d, which more closely resembles actual field conditions. Their food, water intake and body weight were recorded daily, and blood sugar was estimated once a week. All the parameters were recorded for a period of 18 d each, before, during, and after exposure to simulated HA. The results show a decrease in daily food and water intake and body weight, and mild hypoglycemia during hypoxic exposure. Single-bottle and two-bottle tests showed a preference for sweet solutions over water, citric acid, sodium chloride, and quinine sulfate during exposure. The two-bottle test showed a preference for glucose over calorically-inert saccharine. The continuous exposure in this study produced qualitatively similar but quantitatively accentuated results as compared to intermittent 6 h exposure contiguously for 21 d. High-altitude stress appears to influence food intake such that sensory cues assume greater significance during feeding behavior.