The effects of lithium chloride on the activity of the afferent nerve fibers from the abdominal visceral organs in the rat.

The effect of lithium chloride on the activity of the afferent nerve fibers from the abdominal organs was studied in anesthetized rats. The administration of the lithium chloride solution (0.15 M) over the mesentery increased afferent discharge rate of the splanchnic and vagal gastric nerve. Injection of the same solution into the portal vein caused an increase in afferent activity of the vagal hepatic nerve. Further, infusion of the same solution into the duodenum resulted in facilitation of the afferent activity of the splanchnic as well as vagal celiac nerves. The results may explain the mechanism played by lithium chloride as unconditioned stimulus in the conditioned taste aversion paradigm.