TASTE REACTIVITY TO ALCOHOL AND BASIC TASTES IN OUTBRED MICE

The taste reactivity test was used to determine the response of outbre d mice to orally infused taste solutions. For the initial measures, mi ce (n = 10) were tested with 3%, 6%, 9%, and 12% (v/v) alcohol and fou r taste solutions: sucrose, sodium chloride, hydrochloric acid, and qu inine hydrochloride (a single concentration of each). A second group o f naive mice (n = 16) was tested with 5%, 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% alcoh ol. The final set of measures with naive mice (n = 26) was taken with a range of sucrose concentrations: 0.01 M, 0.05 M, 0.1 M, 0.5 M, and 1 .0 M. In general, mice made similar reactivity responses to all soluti ons tested. A predominant component of the mouse response to all infus ed fluids was forelimb flailing; gaping was also a common response to all solutions. Despite the large number of aversive-type responses, mi ce rejected very little fluid via passive drip or fluid expulsion. The single, significant difference in responding to the four taste stimul i was that mice made fewer aversive responses to sucrose. Differential responding to the 5 to 40% alcohol concentrations and sucrose concent rations was observed. Mice increased ingestive responding as the conce ntration of alcohol and sucrose increased. Aversive responding decreas ed reliably only with increases in the sucrose concentration. Data pro vide the first reported taste reactivity responses of mice to orally i nfused taste solutions. These results can be compared with the extant data available in rats and can also be used as a basis for exploring t aste factors in genetically defined mouse populations.