Ethanol-induced taste aversions: lack of involvement of acetaldehyde and the area postrema.
Two experiments were run to evaluate the role of acetaldehyde and the area postrema in the acquisition of an ethanol-induced conditioned taste aversion. An ethanol-induced taste aversion was observed in male Sprague-Dawley rats with a dose of 4 g/kg. PO, but not after doses of 1 or 2 g/kg. Pretreatment with 4-methylpyrazole (8 mg/kg, IP), which itself did not induce an aversion as compared to pyrazole (68 mg/kg, IP) that did, and/or prior application of lesions of the area postrema had no influence on the development of an ethanol-induced taste aversion. The results indicate that ethanol-induced taste aversion learning does not result from the metabolism of ethanol to acetaldehyde and does not, like other toxins, involve the mediation of the area postrema.
D000079:Acetaldehyde / Q000097:blood*; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000187:drug effects*; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000077604:Fomepizole; D008297:Male; D011720:Pyrazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects*
D011720:Pyrazoles; D000431:Ethanol; C031280:pyrazole; D000077604:Fomepizole; D000079:Acetaldehyde