Nature 258, 226 - 228 (20 November 1975); doi:10.1038/258226a0

Disordered drinking after abdominal vagotomy in rats

F. SCOTT KRALY, JAMES GIBBS & GERARD P. SMITH

Edward W. Bourne Behavioral Research Laboratory, New York Hospital, 21 Bloomingdale Road, White Plains, New York 10605

WHILE investigating the effect of abdominal vagotomy on satiety elicited by cholecystokinin¹, we noted that many vagotomised rats seemed to be undernourished and failed to regain their preoperative weight. Because of their low water−food ratio (vagotomised 1.30.5 ml g^-1, sham 1.80.1 ml g^-1, P<0.001), we analysed their drinking behaviour in various conditions. We report here that abdominal vagotomy produces severe deficits in drinking behaviour that can be characterised as motivational.

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