Cl. Land et Dc. Riccio, D-CYCLOSERINE, A POSITIVE MODULATOR OF THE NMDA RECEPTOR, ENHANCES ACQUISITION OF A CONDITIONED TASTE-AVERSION, Psychobiology, 25(3), 1997, pp. 210-216
Pharmacological manipulations using agents that affect the action of t
he N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor have been demonstrated to modu
late acquisition and retention in experimental animals. Although it is
well established that antagonists of this receptor debilitate acquisi
tion of many experimental tasks, the effects of agonists of the recept
or site have not been thoroughly examined, except for those of D-cyclo
serine (DCS), a partial agonist of the NMDA receptor. In the present s
tudy, DCS is demonstrated to enhance acquisition of a conditioned tast
e aversion (CTA) in rats, extending the findings of facilitation of le
arning with this agonist to a CTA paradigm. DCS itself did not cause a
taste aversion nor did it summate with lithium chloride, the uncondit
ioned stimulus? to increase avoidance of the conditioned stimulus in e
xperimental animals. It appears that modulation of the NMDA receptor c
an affect gustatory learning.