Interference in food aversion conditioning by reducing drug dose or conditioning trials.

Previous work has suggested that aversions to foods are relatively resistant to interference effects. Although these findings have been interpreted as reflecting the potency of foods as targets in aversion conditioning, resistance to interference could more generally characterize intense conditioned aversions. In the present studies with Wistar rats we examined whether interference with food aversion conditioning could be demonstrated by reducing either the drug dose (cyclophosphamide; 20 vs 40 mg/kg) or the number of conditioning trials. In both cases interference was produced; that is, the presence of a second food did interfere with the conditioning of aversions to the first or "target" food. Thus, under conditions which would be expected to produce slower or weaker conditioning, interference with food aversions was facilitated.