INTAKE OF ETHANOL, SODIUM-CHLORIDE, SUCROSE, CITRIC-ACID, AND QUININEHYDROCHLORIDE SOLUTIONS BY MICE - A GENETIC-ANALYSIS

Mice of the 129/J (129) and C57BL/6ByJ (B6) strains and their reciproc al F-1 and F-2 hybrids were offered solutions of ethanol, sucrose, cit ric acid, quinine hydrochloride, and NaCl in two-bottle choice tests. Consistent with earlier work, the B6 mice drank more ethanol, sucrose, citric acid, and quinine hydrochloride solution and less NaCl solutio n than did 129 mice. Analyses of each generation's means and distribut ions showed that intakes of ethanol, quinine, sucrose, and NaCl were i nfluenced by a few genes. The mode of inheritance was additive in the case of ethanol and quinine, for sucrose the genotype of the 129 strai n was recessive, and for NaCl it was dominant. Citric acid intake appe ared to be influenced by many genes with small effects, with the 129 g enotype dominant. Correlations of sucrose consumption with ethanol and citric acid consumption were found among mice of the F, generation, a nd the genetically determined component of these correlations was stro nger than the component related to environmental factors. The genetica lly determined correlation between sucrose and ethanol intakes is cons istent with the hypothesis that the higher ethanol intake by B6 mice d epends, in part, on higher hedonic attractiveness of its sweet taste c omponent.