Exposure to a lithium-paired context elicits gaping in rats: A model of anticipatory nausea.
Chemotherapy patients report anticipatory nausea and vomiting upon re-exposure to the cues previously associated with the treatment. Although rats do not vomit, they display a distinctive gaping reaction when exposed to a toxin-paired flavored solution. Here we report that rats also display gaping reactions during exposure to a context previously paired with the illness-inducing effects of lithium chloride (Experiment 1). This gaping reaction is suppressed by pretreatment with the antiemetic agent, Delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol, but not ondansetron (Experiment 2). The finding that gaping is elicited by an illness-paired context confirms the proposal that an illness-paired context can evoke a conditioned state of nausea and supports the case of context-aversion as a rat model for anticipatory nausea.
Limebeer
Cheryl L
CL
Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 2C5.
Hall
Geoffrey
G
Parker
Linda A
LA
D000818:Animals; D000932:Antiemetics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D013759:Dronabinol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008094:Lithium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000523:psychology*; D017294:Ondansetron / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects*
D000932:Antiemetics; D017294:Ondansetron; D013759:Dronabinol; D008094:Lithium