Nerve growth factor facilitates conditioned taste aversion learning in normal rats.
Chronic intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) infusion of 3.2 micrograms/day of nerve growth factor (NGF) in normal rats elevated choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity of the striatum, medial septum, and basal forebrain and improved performance of a conditioned taste aversion (CTA) task. Relative to bovine serum albumin (BSA) or Cytochrome C treatments, NGF treatment facilitated acquisition and prolonged extinction of a lithium chloride (LiCl)-induced saccharin aversion. This facilitation was evident at saccharin/LiCl intervals ranging up to 1 h. Also, NGF treatment did not increase reactivity to LiCl-induced illness and neither shifted detection thresholds nor altered hedonic reactions to taste stimuli, indicating that NGF did not produce simple changes in sensory function. NGF treatments that elevate ChAT also facilitate memory of CTA in normal, adult rats.
Department of Psychology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti 48197, USA.
W J
WJ
Lipinski
K W
KW
Rusiniak
M
M
Hilliard
R E
RE
Davis
D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000187:drug effects; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D018021:Lithium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012439:Saccharin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects*
D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D013549:Sweetening Agents; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase; D012439:Saccharin; D018021:Lithium Chloride