Two separate studies were made to determine the degree of post-irradiation saccharin avoidance behavior displayed by rats given tap water or no fluid to drink prior to low-level x-irradiation exposure. In neither study were significant differences, in post-treatment saccharin avoidance behavior, found between the groups receiving saccharin solution, tap water or no fluid to drink prior to radiation exposure. It was concluded that the results could be viewed as additional evidence for the hypothesis of an association of a disturbed physiological state and the discriminatory saccharin solution in the home cage and not an association of x-irradiation with saccharin solution per se. Doubt was expressed that the results could be taken as evidence for successful backward conditioning.
