RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Three Water Restriction Schedules Used in Rodent Behavioral Tasks Transiently Impair Growth and Differentially Evoke a Stress Hormone Response without Causing Dehydration
JF eneuro
JO eNeuro
FD Society for Neuroscience
SP ENEURO.0424-21.2021
DO 10.1523/ENEURO.0424-21.2021
VO 8
IS 6
A1 Vasilev, Dmitrii
A1 Havel, Daniel
A1 Liebscher, Simone
A1 Slesiona-Kuenzel, Silvia
A1 Logothetis, Nikos K.
A1 Schenke-Layland, Katja
A1 Totah, Nelson K.
YR 2021
UL http://www.eneuro.org/content/8/6/ENEURO.0424-21.2021.abstract
AB Water restriction is commonly used to motivate rodents to perform behavioral tasks; however, its effects on hydration and stress hormone levels are unknown. Here, we report daily body weight and bi-weekly packed red blood cell volume and corticosterone (CORT) in adult male rats across 80 days for three commonly used water restriction schedules. We also assessed renal adaptation to water restriction using postmortem histologic evaluation of renal medulla. A control group received ad libitum water. After one week of water restriction, rats on all restriction schedules resumed similar levels of growth relative to the control group. Normal hydration was observed, and water restriction did not drive renal adaptation. An intermittent restriction schedule was associated with an increase in CORT relative to the control group. However, intermittent restriction evokes a stress response which could affect behavioral and neurobiological results. Our results also suggest that stable motivation in behavioral tasks may only be achieved after one week of restriction.