title: Odor similarity between stress-inducing odorants in wistar rats.
abstract: Odor similarity to the odor of 4-mercapto-4-methyl-2-pentanone (I) was measured on eight rats by generalization of a conditioned avoidance response tocis- andtrans-8-mercapto-p-menthan-3-one (II and III), 3-mercapto-3-methyl-2-pentanone (V), andt-amyl mercaptan (VI). Previously, these odorants had been found to induce stress in rats in an open-field situation. In the present experiment, rats generalized the avoidance response learned with I, for V, VI, and to a lesser extenttrans-isomer III, implying odor similarities;cis isomer II was discriminated. Odor similarity between mercapto ketone I and mercaptan VI is surprising since VI lacks the keto group.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Neurophysiologie Comparée, Université Paris VI, 9 quai Saint-Bernard, 75005, Paris, France.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Fombon
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Polak