Differential motivational profiles following adolescent sucrose access in male and female rats

• Male and female rats were exposed to intermittent sucrose across adolescence.
• Motivation was assessed by lever pressing on a progressive ratio schedule.
• Female rats exposed to sucrose were more motivated to procure sucrose as adults.
• Male rats exposed to sucrose were less motivated to procure sucrose as adults.
• Intermittent sucrose access during adolescence has sex-dependent motivation effects.

Adolescents are the highest consumers of sugar sweetened drinks. Excessive consumption of such drinks is a likely contributor to the development of obesity and may be associated with enduring changes in the systems involved in reward and motivation. We examined the impact of daily sucrose consumption in young male and female rats (N = 12 per group) across the adolescent period on the motivation to perform instrumental responses to gain food rewards as adults. Rats were or were not exposed to a sucrose solution for 2 h each day for 28 days across adolescence [postnatal days (P) 28–56]. They were then trained as adults (P70 onward) to lever press for a palatable 15% cherry flavored sucrose reward and tested on a progressive ratio (PR) schedule to assess motivation to respond for reinforcement. Female rats exposed to sucrose had higher breakpoints on the PR schedule than controls, whereas male rats exposed to sucrose had lower breakpoints than controls. These results show that consumption of sucrose during adolescence produced sex-specific behavioral changes in responding for sucrose as adults.