Conditioned saccharin taste aversion induced by mycotoxins in rats: lack of effect of ochratoxin A.

The present study examined the putative aversive action of ochratoxin A (OA) using a conditioned saccharin aversion paradigm. Adult male rats consumed a 0.1% saccharin solution then were treated (IP) with either a 5% NaHCO3 vehicle (negative control), 32 mg/kg LiCl (positive control) or 0.75, 1.5 or 3.0 mg/kg OA. Twenty-four hours later, the rats were given a choice between tap water and the 0.1% saccharin solution. Rats treated with the vehicle or any of the doses of OA exhibited a marked preference for the saccharin solution, whereas the rats treated with LiCl exhibited a marked rejection of the saccharin solution. The implications of these data for an understanding of mycotoxicosis are discussed.