FIGURE 1.

Long-term sucrose consumption increases mouse weights without altering emotional behavior. (A) Experimental design of the anxiety-related, depression-related, general locomotor activity and impulse control behavioral testing in elevated-plus-maze (EPM), novelty suppressed feeding (NSF), marble burying (MB), open field (OF) and forced swimming test (FS). Animals consumed 25% sucrose for 5 weeks prior to each behavioral testing and continued to be exposed to sucrose for a total of 12 weeks. Behavioral tests were initially conducted 2 weeks (2 wk) then continued every 5 days (5d) after 24 h of sugar withdrawal. Animals were assigned into two groups: sugar-withdrawn animals and water control. (B) Mice exhibit stable levels of long-term sucrose intake of 82.2 ± 0.9 g/kg indicated by the red line. (C) There was a significant difference in the weights of animals consuming sucrose, compared to water control, starting after 4 weeks, and continuing throughout the 12 weeks. Data are presented as mean ± SEM; n = 8 mice/group, t-test, ***p < 0.001. (D–F) Long-term sucrose consumption does not alter anxiety-related behavior as seen by no change in the number of entries in the open-arm of the EPM (D), number of marbles buried (E) and number of entries in the center in the open field (F) compared to water controls. Long-term sucrose consumption does not induce depressive-like symptoms as seen by no differences in the immobility time in the forced swimming test (G) compared to water controls. Data are presented as mean ± SEM; n = 8 mice/group.