Medullary afferent vagal axotomy disrupts NaCl-induced short-term taste aversion learning.
The effect of medullary afferent vagal axotomy on NaCl-induced short-term and long-term taste aversion learning (TAL) was examined to assess the relevance of the vagus nerve in drug-induced TAL. The results show that medullary afferent vagal axotomy disrupts NaCl-induced short-term (nondelayed) TAL, while having no effect on learning acquired with the same product in long-term (delayed) TAL protocols. Acquisition of learning in delayed discrimination tasks may be mediated by alternative mechanisms of nonvagal nature, e.g., the humoral system. The possibility that short-term and long-term TAL may be mediated by different neurobiological substrates is discussed.
Arnedo
M
M
Departamento Psicología Experimental y Fisiología del Comportamiento, Campus Universitario de Cartuja, Granada, Spain.
Gallo
M
M
Agüero
A
A
Molina
F
F
Puerto
A
A
D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000502:physiology; D008959:Models, Neurological; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D014628:Vagotomy; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000502:physiology*
D012965:Sodium Chloride