Presence of a phosphate appetite in juvenile rats

Aviad Haramati, Joseph Sweeny, H. Edward Siebert, Jay Schulkin, Susan E. Mulroney

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The presence of a preferential intake for certain minerals such as sodium has been demonstrated in rats deprived of the mineral. However, whether an appetite exists specifically for phosphate (Pi) is unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine if short-term dietary Pi deprivation stimulates an appetite for Pi in the juvenile rat, which normally has a high metabolic demand for Pi for growth. Juvenile Wistar rats (21-25 days old) were placed in individual cages with unrestricted access to water and low (L) Pi diet (PD) for 7 days. A control group of rats were pair-fed normal (N) PD. On day 8, all groups were given free access to a solution of 0.3M potassium phosphate water (Pi-H2O) for a week. Avg. daily body weight (BW) gain in rats fed LPD was significantly lower than in rats pair-fed NPD (1.5±0.4 vs. 4.5±0.4 grams, P<0.05). Upon access to PiH2O, rats fed LPD consumed significantly more Pi-H2O than those fed NPD (3.0±0.2 vs. 1.8±0.1 ml/day, P<0.001). The increase in Pi intake resulted in a marked rise in growth in rats fed LPD to an avg. daily BW gain of 6.0±0.6 grams, a rate not different from NPD rats (6.1±0.5 grams) The preferential Pi intake was induciblc after only 2 days of LPD (separate group of rats), and was associated with a significant decrease in plasma Pi levels. Moreover, the appetite was specific for Pi, as there was no preferential consumption of calcium-H2O when given together with Pi-H2O. These findings suggest that a specific appetite for Pi can be induced in juvenile rats, which may serve to maintain an adequate supply of Pi necessary for growth and development.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)A276
JournalFASEB Journal
Volume11
Issue number3
StatePublished - 1997
Externally publishedYes

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