Department of Psychobiology, Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience Programme, and Mind, Brain, and Behaviour Research Centre (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Spain.
Department of Experimental Psychology and Mind, Brain, and Behaviour Research Centre (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Spain.
Sci Rep. 2016 Sep 14;6:33365. doi: 10.1038/srep33365.
Flavour aversion learning (FAL) and conditioned flavour preference (CFP) facilitate animal survival and play a major role in food selection, but the neurobiological mechanisms involved are not completely understood. Neuroanatomical bases of CFP were examined by using Fos immunohistochemistry to record neuronal activity. Rats were trained over eight alternating one-bottle sessions to acquire a CFP induced by pairing a flavour with saccharin (grape was CS+ in Group 1; cherry in Group 2; in Group 3, grape/cherry in half of animals; Group 4, grape/cherry in water). Animals were offered the grape flavour on the day immediately after the training and their brains were processed for c-Fos. Neurons evidencing Fos-like immunoreactivity were counted in the infralimbic cortex, nucleus accumbens core, and anterior piriform cortex (aPC). Analysis showed a significantly larger number of activated cells after learning in the aPC alone, suggesting that the learning process might have produced a change in this cortical region. Ibotenic lesions in the aPC blocked flavour-taste preference but did not interrupt flavour-toxin FAL by LiCl. These data suggest that aPC cells may be involved in the formation of flavour preferences and that the integrity of this region may be specifically necessary for the acquisition of a CFP.
味觉厌恶学习(FAL)和条件味觉偏好(CFP)有助于动物生存,并在食物选择中发挥重要作用,但涉及的神经生物学机制尚不完全清楚。本研究采用 Fos 免疫组织化学方法记录神经元活动,研究了 CFP 的神经解剖学基础。通过八次交替的单瓶训练,使大鼠获得由与蔗糖配对的味道诱导的 CFP(葡萄是第 1 组的 CS+;樱桃是第 2 组;在第 3 组中,一半动物是葡萄/樱桃;第 4 组是葡萄/樱桃在水中)。在训练后的第二天,立即向动物提供葡萄味,并对其大脑进行 c-Fos 处理。在边缘下皮质、伏隔核核心和前梨状皮质(aPC)中计数表达 Fos 样免疫反应性的神经元。分析显示,在单独的 aPC 中,学习后激活细胞的数量明显增加,这表明这一皮质区域可能发生了变化。aPC 中的伊博替林损伤阻断了味道-味觉偏好,但不会中断锂诱导的味道-毒素 FAL。这些数据表明,aPC 细胞可能参与了味觉偏好的形成,而该区域的完整性可能是获得 CFP 的特定需要。