Modulation of conditioned taste aversion by sodium pentobarbital.
The effects of pentobarbital on the formation and expression of LiCl induced taste aversion were examined using a two-bottle preference test. Rats adapted to restricted fluid intake were offered a 15% sucrose solution 15 min after a pentobarbital or saline injection but prior to post-CS LiCl or control injections. All animals were tested 3 days later in either the same or opposite drug state, and were returned to the conditioning day drug state for a second test. The results showed that pentobarbital in testing disrupted evidence for taste aversion in a manner not simply accounted for by its dipsogenic effects. It was suggested that the present paradigm may prove to be a simple behavioral assay for screening putative anxiolytic drugs.
D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D002712:Chlorides / Q000494:pharmacology; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects*; D008094:Lithium / Q000494:pharmacology; D018021:Lithium Chloride; D008297:Male; D010424:Pentobarbital / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D013395:Sucrose; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects*
D002712:Chlorides; D013395:Sucrose; D008094:Lithium; D018021:Lithium Chloride; D010424:Pentobarbital