The antiemetic drug ondansetron interferes with lithium-induced conditioned rejection reactions, but not lithium-induced taste avoidance in rats

J Exp Psychol Anim Behav Process. 2000 Oct;26(4):371-84. doi: 10.1037//0097-7403.26.4.371.

Abstract

Conditioned rejection reactions displayed in the taste reactivity test are exclusively produced by treatments that elicit nausea. The present experiments demonstrate that pretreatment with the antinausea agent ondansetron interferes with both the establishment and the expression of conditioned rejection reactions. Ondansetron did not interfere with lithium-induced taste avoidance in either a 1-bottle or a 2-bottle test. In fact, when rejection reactions were measured during a consumption test, ondansetron selectively attenuated rejection reactions, with only a slight modification of consumption. These results suggest that conditioned rejection reactions, but not conditioned taste avoidance, reflect nausea in rats that can be attenuated by ondansetron pretreatment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antiemetics / adverse effects*
  • Antimanic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Behavior, Animal / drug effects
  • Choice Behavior / drug effects*
  • Conditioning, Psychological / drug effects*
  • Lithium / pharmacology*
  • Male
  • Ondansetron / adverse effects*
  • Random Allocation
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Taste / drug effects*

Substances

  • Antiemetics
  • Antimanic Agents
  • Ondansetron
  • Lithium