Differential effects of subdiaphragmatic vagotomy on NaCl-induced aversion learning.
The vagus nerve has been proposed in numerous studies as one of the peripheral mechanisms involved in drug-induced taste aversion learning, although available data have been controversial. The differential results obtained in the present series of experiments with vagotomy and NaCl-induced short-term and long-term aversion learning suggest that the vagal system plays a decisive role in tasks requiring the rapid detection of an aversive substance in the gastrointestinal tract (short-term tasks). In contrast, this mechanism appears to be unnecessary in long-term tasks, where learning may be mediated by alternative slower-acting peripheral mechanisms such as the humoral system.
Arnedo
M
M
Departamento de Psicología Experimental y Fisiología del Comportmiento, Granada, Spain.
Gallo
M
M
Agüero
A
A
Puerto
A
A
D000818:Animals; D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D002628:Chemoreceptor Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000502:physiology*; D004064:Digestive System / Q000294:innervation*; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000502:physiology; D012462:Saline Solution, Hypertonic; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology*; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000502:physiology*
D012462:Saline Solution, Hypertonic