N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist D-APV selectively disrupts taste-potentiated odor aversion learning

Behav Neurosci. 1992 Apr;106(2):315-23. doi: 10.1037//0735-7044.106.2.315.

Abstract

Two experiments examined the effects of the competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist D-APV (D-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate) on rats' ability to acquire potentiated aversions to the odor element of a taste-odor compound. In Experiment 1, pretreatment with D-APV (2.5 micrograms/side icv) caused stereospecific deficits in potentiated odor aversion learning but left simple taste and odor aversion learning intact. In Experiment 2, pretreatment with D-APV had no effect on rats' acquisition of an illness-based odor discrimination task. These results parallel those previously obtained using a noncompetitive NMDA antagonist (Robinson, Crooks, Shinkman, & Gallagher, 1989) and show that interference with NMDA receptors can selectively impair potentiated odor aversion learning. These results suggest that NMDA receptors play a critical role in some, but not all, forms of learning and memory.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • 2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate / pharmacology*
  • Animals
  • Association Learning / drug effects*
  • Avoidance Learning / drug effects*
  • Brain / drug effects*
  • Conditioning, Classical / drug effects*
  • Injections, Intraventricular
  • Male
  • Mental Recall / drug effects
  • Rats
  • Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / drug effects*
  • Smell / drug effects*
  • Synaptic Transmission / drug effects
  • Taste / drug effects*

Substances

  • Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate
  • 2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate