Oxytocin and vasopressin secretion in response to stimuli producing learned taste aversions in rats.

Administration of lithium chloride, copper sulfate, and apomorphine to rats each stimulated the secretion of oxytocin (OT) and, to a much lesser degree, arginine vasopressin. These agents are assumed to cause visceral illness in rats because of their effectiveness in promoting the acquisition of learned taste aversions. CuSO4 had a greater effect on plasma OT levels when administered ip rather than iv, whereas LiCl did not, results suggesting that LiCl probably stimulates OT secretion by central chemoreceptor activation whereas CuSO4 acts predominantly by local peritoneal irritation. A causal role for circulating OT in the acquisition of learned taste aversions was not found. These and other findings suggest that peripheral levels of OT may represent a quantifiable marker of visceral illness in rats and therefore might be useful in the interpretation of behavioral studies in which learned taste aversions are produced, provided that other stimuli of neurohypophyseal secretion are absent.