Role of vasopressin in long-term preferences of sucrose and polycose under ad-libitum and food-restricted conditions.

Vasopressin-deficient (DI) and vasopressin-containing (LE) rats were given continuous access to 32% sucrose and 32% polycose solutions under ad-libitum and food-restricted conditions in a long-term preference test. Although all animals preferred Polycose to sucrose in both conditions, food restriction introduced a stress that significantly increased the consumption of Polycose in DI rats. Considering total caloric intake, Polycose was preferred by both strains only under food restriction and the effect was greatly exacerbated in DI animals compared to LE animals. The differences observed between DI and LE animals in response to ad-libitum feeding and food-restriction stress indicate that vasopressin, directly and/or indirectly, influences the physical and metabolic functions and processes of the animals, which, in turn, affect their intake of Polycose.