Decreased testosterone levels and accelerated extinction of a conditioned taste aversion in fluid-deprived male rats.
The hypothesis that fluid deprivation accelerates extinction of a conditioned taste aversion in male Sprague-Dawley-derived rats by reducing serum testosterone levels was tested. Serum testosterone levels were found to be lower in fluid-deprived males than in nondeprived males (Experiments 1 and 2). Exogenous testosterone treatment that results in high physiological levels of serum testosterone slowed the extinction of fluid-deprived gonadectomized males to rates comparable with those of nondeprived sham males (Experiment 3). It was noted, however, that testosterone treatment was less effective in slowing extinction in fluid-deprived gonadectomized males than in nondeprived gonadectomized males even though the serum testosterone levels were the same (Experiments 3 and 4). These results provide strong support for the original hypothesis, but they suggest that fluid deprivation also reduces sensitivity to testosterone.
Chambers
K C
KC
Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles 90089.
Sengstake
C B
CB
Brownson
E A
EA
Westfahl
P K
PK
D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000502:physiology*; D005108:Extinction, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*; D014868:Water Deprivation / Q000502:physiology*; D014882:Water-Electrolyte Balance / Q000502:physiology*
D013739:Testosterone