Extinction of conditioned taste aversion depends on functional protein synthesis but not on NMDA receptor activation in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex

Learn Mem. 2006 May-Jun;13(3):254-8. doi: 10.1101/lm.191706.

Abstract

We investigated the role of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) in extinction of conditioned taste aversion (CTA) by microinfusing a protein synthesis inhibitor or N-methyl-d-asparate (NMDA) receptors antagonist into the vmPFC immediately following a non-reinforced extinction session. We found that the protein synthesis blocker anisomycin, but not the NMDA receptors antagonist D,L-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid, impaired CTA extinction in the vmPFC. Anisomycin microinfusion into vmPFC had no effect on CTA acquisition and by itself did not induce CTA. These findings show the necessary role functional protein synthesis is playing in the vmPFC during the learning of CTA extinction.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate / administration & dosage
  • 2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Anisomycin / administration & dosage
  • Anisomycin / pharmacology
  • Association Learning / drug effects
  • Association Learning / physiology*
  • Avoidance Learning / drug effects
  • Avoidance Learning / physiology*
  • Conditioning, Classical / drug effects
  • Conditioning, Classical / physiology
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Extinction, Psychological / drug effects
  • Extinction, Psychological / physiology*
  • Male
  • Microinjections
  • Prefrontal Cortex / drug effects
  • Prefrontal Cortex / metabolism*
  • Protein Biosynthesis / drug effects
  • Protein Biosynthesis / physiology*
  • Protein Synthesis Inhibitors / administration & dosage
  • Protein Synthesis Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / metabolism*
  • Taste / physiology

Substances

  • Protein Synthesis Inhibitors
  • Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate
  • Anisomycin
  • 2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate