Effect of 5-thio-D-glucose on food and water intakes and on the acquisition and performance of maze tasks in the rat.

A potent inhibitor of D-glucose transport across the membrane, 5-thio-D-glucose (5-TDG) was examined with respect to its effect on runway and maze performance as well as on food and water intakes and body weight. In an initial experiemnt, three groups of Sprague-Dawley rats were matched in terms of their performance to learn a runway taks with Noyes pellets serving as the reinforcement. After extinction, two groups of rats were given 5-TDG in their food for 14 days, in doses of 20 and 100 mg/kg/day, which exerts potent effects on other functions. Retesting in the runway task showed no significant differences in the time required for the controls and for the 5-TDG treated rats to reach the goal box. Nonfed controls and the same two groups were again fed 500 ant 100 mg/kg/day 5-TDG and were tested on the 12 problems of the Hebb-Williams maze. Again, no significant differences were found in the number of erros made on the 12 problems by the 5-TDG treated animals or by the controls. Thus, this sugar analogue, administered in doses that affect spermatogenesis and other processes, has no effect on the ability of the rats to perform these tasks. Similarly, the intakes of food and water were unaffected by the systemic administration of 5-TDG.