title: Neurochemical basis of conditioned partner preference in the female rat: I. Disruption by naloxone.
abstract: The effects of the opioid antagonist naloxone were examined on the development of conditioned partner preference induced by paced copulation in female rats. In Experiment 1, ovariectomized, hormone-primed rats were conditioned to associate scented and unscented male rats with paced and nonpaced copulation, respectively. Female rats in Experiment 2 associated albino or pigmented male rats with paced or nonpaced copulation. Naloxone or saline was administered before each conditioning trial. During a final drug-free preference test, female rats could choose to copulate with either a pacing related or unrelated male. Saline-trained female rats in the paired group copulated preferentially with the pacing-related male rat, whereas naloxone-trained female rats did not show a preference. The authors concluded that opioids mediated the conditioned partner preference induced by paced copulation.
authors.affiliation: Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.coria75@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Genaro A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Coria-Avila
authors.forename: Carrie E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Solomon
authors.forename: Erica Barbosa
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Vargas
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lemme
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: Shann
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ménard
authors.forename: Alex M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Gavrila
authors.forename: James G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Pfaus
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001245:Association Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000187:drug effects*; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D052586:Mating Preference, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D009270:Naloxone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D009270:Naloxone