Ontogeny of calcium preference in the parathyroidectomized rat

Influence of cross-fostering on preference for calcium chloride in C57BL/6J and PWK/PhJ mice

“…However, some caution in interpretation is required because we sampled milk at only one time (13-16 days postpartum) and did not assess the volume of milk the pups ingested. Suckling pups react to disturbances in their calcium homeostasis with changes in ingestive behavior [29] so it may be that pups titrate concentration and volume to regulate calcium intake.…”

“…Taste buds continue to develop during the first postnatal weeks, the afferent terminal field of the major gustatory nerves including the chorda tympani nerve (which carries calcium-specific nerve fibers and is involved in regulation of calcium consumption [22-24]) undergoes reorganization, and responses of the nerves to gustatory stimuli change during postnatal development [25-28]. The development of the mechanisms that mediate the regulation of calcium intake parallels the ontogenetic changes within the gustatory system: rat pups start to respond to calcium deficiency with increased calcium intake on postnatal day 4 and this becomes progressively more specific throughout the rest of the suckling period [29]. …”