title: Age-dependent MDPV-induced taste aversions and thermoregulation in adolescent and adult rats.
abstract: Adolescent rats are more sensitive to the rewarding and less sensitive to the aversive properties of various drugs of abuse than their adult counterparts. Given a nationwide increase in use of "bath salts," the present experiment employed the conditioned taste aversion procedure to assess the aversive effects of 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV; 0, 1.0, 1.8, or 3.2 mg/kg), a common constituent in "bath salts," in adult and adolescent rats. As similar drugs induce thermoregulatory changes in rats, temperature was recorded following MDPV administration to assess if thermoregulatory changes were related to taste aversion conditioning. Both age groups acquired taste aversions, although these aversions were weaker and developed at a slower rate in the adolescent subjects. Adolescents increased and adults decreased body temperature following MDPV administration with no correlation to aversions. The relative insensitivity of adolescents to the aversive effects of MDPV suggests that MDPV may confer an increased risk in this population.
authors.affiliation: Psychopharmacology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, American University, 4400 Mass. Ave., NW, Washington, DC, 20016. andrewmerluzzi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Andrew P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Merluzzi
authors.forename: Zachary E
authors.initials: ZE
authors.lastname: Hurwitz
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Briscione
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Cobuzzi
authors.forename: Bradley
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wetzell
authors.forename: Kenner C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Rice
authors.forename: Anthony L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Riley
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D052117:Benzodioxoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D015198:Designer Drugs / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D011759:Pyrrolidines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D000094982:Synthetic Cathinone
chemical_list: D052117:Benzodioxoles; D015198:Designer Drugs; D011759:Pyrrolidines; D000094982:Synthetic Cathinone
keywords: MDPV; bath salts; body temperature; taste aversions