Figure 2
From: Female mice are more prone to develop an addictive-like phenotype for sugar consumption
Acquisition of sugar consumption in male (n = 42) and female (n = 41) mice (Experiment 2a). Sugar drinking (A,B), preference over water (C,D) and locomotor activity (E,F) during the first 3 days of free choice sugar exposure. (A) Both males (white circles/bars) and females (grey circles/bars) showed the typical diurnal rhythmicity, with higher drinking levels during the dark, active phase compared with the light, inactive phase of the day with no differences between males and females (all day points differed significantly from all night points, not indicated). (B) Consequently, the total sugar intake during 24 h was similar in both groups. (C) Such rhythmicity was not that marked in the daily preference over water but the mean showed a clear diurnal pattern, with females showing higher preference between the end of the active and beginning of the inactive phase, (D) which resulted in a higher total preference compared to males. (E) Similar to the intake pattern, locomotor activity also showed the typical diurnal rhythmicity (all day points differed significantly from all night points, not indicated). Females showed higher locomotor activity which was restricted to the active phase. (F) As a result, the total daily locomotor activity was higher in females than in males All data represent means ± SEM. (#), (##) indicate P < 0.05 and 0.001 versus male mice, respectively.
