Morphine- and naltrexone-induced modification of palatability: analysis by the taste reactivity test.

We used the taste reactivity (TR) test, a direct measure of the hedonic properties of a tastant, to assess in Sprague-Dawley rats the ability of morphine (an opiate agonist) and naltrexone (an opiate antagonist) to modify the palatability of a bitter quinine solution and a sweet sucrose solution. Morphine reduced the aversive hedonic properties of both novel and familiar quinine solution (0.05% and 0.1%) but did not modify the palatability of 20% sucrose solution. Naltrexone reduced the positive hedonic properties of sucrose solution (2% and 20%) but did not modify the palatability of 0.05% quinine solution. The pattern of results suggests that the modification of feeding produced by opiate agonists and antagonists may be mediated by an hedonic shift in the palatability of the tastant.