Polycose taste pre-exposure fails to influence behavioral and neural indices of taste novelty.
Taste novelty can strongly modulate the speed and efficacy of taste aversion learning. Novel sweet tastes enhance c-Fos-like immunoreactivity (FLI) in the central amygdala and insular cortex. The present studies examined whether this neural correlate of novelty extends to different taste types by measuring FLI signals after exposure to novel and familiar polysaccharide (Polycose) and salt (NaCl) tastes. Novel Polycose not only failed to elevate FLI expression in central amygdala and insular cortex, but also failed to induce stronger taste aversion learning than familiar Polycose. Novel NaCl, on the other hand, showed patterns of FLI activation and aversion learning similar to that of novel sweet tastes. Possible reasons for the resistance of Polycose to typical pre-exposure effects are discussed.
Barot
Sabiha K
SK
Program of Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1525, USA. skb17@u.washington.edu
Bernstein
Ilene L
IL
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D018692:Antimanic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological; D004327:Drinking Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005936:Glucans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D018021:Lithium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons; D016761:Oncogene Proteins v-fos / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
D018692:Antimanic Agents; D005936:Glucans; D016761:Oncogene Proteins v-fos; D013549:Sweetening Agents; D018021:Lithium Chloride