Altered saccharin preference during chronic dietary administration of lead in adult rats.

Procedural variables are crucial in using taste aversion as a measure of lead toxicity. Rats were given saccharin and water to drink while ingesting a diet containing lead acetate (PbAc). Rats showed high preference for saccharin (over water) before lead was introduced. Saccharian preference fell during PbAc ingestion and rose when PbAc was removed from the diet suggesting that saccharin preference may correlate with the physiologic action of the toxicant. When saccharin was introduced simultaneously with PbAc aversion was almost total, but recovered with continuous PbAc exposure. When saccharin was introduced after the start of PbAc exposure saccharin aversion diminished with the duration of presaccharin PbAc exposure.