Lack of depression-like effects of saccharin deprivation in rats: forced swim test, differential reinforcement of low rates and intracranial self-stimulation procedures.

In humans and laboratory animals, drug withdrawal often is associated with depression-like behaviors. In the present study, rats had unlimited free-choice access to water and a saccharin-containing solution before being subjected to repeated episodes of saccharin deprivation. Saccharin deprivation (1) reduced immobility time in the forced swim test, (2) increased reinforcement rate in rats trained to lever-press under the differential reinforcement of a low-rate (72-sec) schedule of food reinforcement, and (3) lowered intracranial self-stimulation thresholds in a discrete-trial current titration procedure. Taken together, these findings suggest that deprivation from a nondrug reinforcer, saccharin, is not associated with depression-like behaviors. In contrast, saccharin-deprived rats demonstrated improved performance in the behavioral paradigms used here.