Fo. Risinger et Cl. Cunningham, DBA/2J mice develop stronger lithium chloride-induced conditioned taste and place aversions than C57BL/6J mice, PHARM BIO B, 67(1), 2000, pp. 17-24
Genetic differences in lithium-induced conditioned aversion were examined u
sing both place- and taste-conditioning procedures. In the place- condition
ing procedure, adult male C57BL/6J (B6) and DBA/2J (D2) mice were exposed t
o a differential conditioning procedure in which each mouse received four 3
0 - min pairings of a distinctive floor cue immediately after IP injections
of either 0.75, 1.5, or 3.0 mEq/kg LiCl. A different floor cue was paired
with saline injections. A separate group of control mice received saline in
jections paired with both floor types. Subsequent floor preference testing
revealed greater conditioned aversion in D2 mice compared to B6 mice in gro
ups receiving 3.0 mEq/kg LiCl. Lower LiCl doses did not produce conditionin
g in either strain. In a conditioned taste-aversion procedure, fluid-restri
cted mice received four trials in which access to 0.2 M NaCl solution was f
ollowed by IP injection of either 0.75, 1.5, 3.0, or 6.0 mEq/ kg LiCl. D2 m
ice showed stronger conditioned taste aversion than B6 mice at all doses, s
uggesting that taste conditioning may be a more sensitive index of aversive
drug sensitivity than place conditioning. These findings are not well expl
ained by strain differences in general learning ability or by strain differ
ences in stimulus salience or innate preference. Rather, these data appear
more consistent with previous studies showing strain differences in lithium
pharmacokinetics and in general sensitivity to aversive events. (C) 2000 E
lsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.