Cycloheximide impairs reconsolidation of a contextually reactivated memory in a conditioned taste aversion paradigm.
Rats were used to examine the impact of systemic protein synthesis inhibition (PSI) on the reconsolidation of a contextually reactivated memory of conditioned taste aversion (CTA). Rats were administered intraperitoneal injections of saline or lithium chloride (LiCl; .15 M) following exposure to a novel sucrose solution in a unique context. Seven days later, rats were injected subcutaneously with saline or cycloheximide (CXM; 1 mg/kg) and returned to their home cage or placed into the CTA training context in the absence of the target conditioned stimulus to reactivate the training memory. At testing, LiCl-trained rats that had been given CXM at reactivation had significantly greater difference scores (sucrose-water) in comparison with LiCl/CXM rats that had not been given a reactivation treatment and LiCl/saline memory-reactivated rats. These results suggest that context re-exposure effectively reactivates memory of CTA training that may be weakened through PSI. Extinction tests revealed rapid attenuation of taste aversions in all of the LiCl-injected groups. The involvement of taste-potentiated aversions and the role of the context in taste aversion conditioning are discussed.
Flint
Robert W
RW
Department of Psychology, The College of Saint Rose, Albany, NY 12203-1490, USA. flintr@strose.edu
Marino
Christina L
CL
D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects*; D003513:Cycloheximide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018021:Lithium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013395:Sucrose / Q000494:pharmacology; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects*
D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors; D013395:Sucrose; D003513:Cycloheximide; D018021:Lithium Chloride