title: Failure to produce conditioning with low-dose trimethylthiazoline or cat feces as unconditioned stimuli.
abstract: Trimethylthiazoline (TMT), a derivative of fox feces, has been reported to fail to produce aversive conditioning as an unconditioned stimulus (UCS) when presented in large amounts (I. S. McGregor, L. Schrama, P. Ambermoon, & R. A. Dielenberg, 2002). Experiment I evaluated very low TMT levels that nonetheless produced defensive behaviors in rats during exposure. Although each level (0.01, 0.05, and 0.10 microl TMT) produced significant change in defensiveness, none resulted in significant changes the following day in the absence of TMT. Experiment 2 evaluated cat urine, cat feces, and cat fur/skin odor against a no-odor control. Urine produced no significant changes, but feces and fur/skin odors elicited virtually identical changes in defensive behaviors during exposure. When tested the next day in the absence of odor, the fur/skin odor-exposed group showed significant differences on the same behaviors as during exposure, but the feces-exposed group showed no differences on any measure. Results suggest that lack of conditioning to TMT may relate to the type of predator odor rather than the amount, predator species, or possible lack of odor components in TMT that are present in natural feces. Predator feces may also be less effective as a UCS because they are poorly predictive of the actual presence of the predator, suggesting the need for a reevaluation of UCS functions in aversive conditioning.
authors.affiliation: Pacific Biomedical Research Center, Békésy Laboratory of Neurobiology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu 96822-2359, USA. blanchard@hawaii.edu
authors.forename: D Caroline
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Blanchard
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Markham
authors.forename: Mu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hubbard
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Madarang
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Blanchard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D002415:Cats; D003214:Conditioning, Classical; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005239:Fear / Q000187:drug effects; D005243:Feces; D008297:Male; D009812:Odorants; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: C451263:2,4,5 trimethylthiazoline; D013844:Thiazoles