title: Conditioned gustatory avoidance induced by three cholinergic agents.
abstract: Conditioned gustatory avoidance of sweetened condensed milk was induced in rats by drugs which differentially affect the cholinergic nervous system. After baseline water intake during a 15 minute daily session was established, sweetened condensed milk was presented in place of water, followed 15 minutes later by an IP injection of saline, physostigmine (0.5 mg/kg), atropine (25 mg/kg) or mecamylamine (25 mg/kg). Three presentations of milk were given, alternating daily with a water presentation. Atropine, a muscarinic blocker, and mecamylamine, a nicotinic blocker, both produced a strong avoidance. Physostigmine, an indirect agonist, produced a less pronounced avoidance at the dose employed. This study indicates that cholinergic agonists and antagonists are capable of inducing conditioned gustatory avoidance.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001285:Atropine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008464:Mecamylamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D008892:Milk; D010277:Parasympathomimetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010830:Physostigmine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D010277:Parasympathomimetics; D008464:Mecamylamine; D001285:Atropine; D010830:Physostigmine