Abstract
Conditioned taste aversions (C.T.As) established in rats to 0.1% sodium saccharin by intra-peritoneal injections of dl-fenfluramine hydrochloride (6 mg per kg) or d-amphetamine sulphate (2.0 mg per kg) were found to be significantly attenuated, but not abolished altogether, by chronic pretreatment (over 9 days) with the specific drug. Prior treatment with fenfluramine attenuated the aversive effects of amphetamine, but the converse was found not to be the case. These results are considered to refute the “Unnatural need state” and “Novelty” hypotheses of the effects of prior drug experience on the establishment of C.T.As. An alternative explanation of such effects in terms of tolerance is considered, and the possible relevance of the results to studies of drug abuse in humans discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baxter, B. L., Gluckman, M. I., Scerni, R.: Differential self-injection behaviour produced by fenfluramine versus other appetite inhibiting drugs. Fed. Proc. 32, 754 (1973)
Berger, B.: Conditioning of food aversions by injections of psychoactive drugs. J. comp. physiol. Psychol. 81, 21–26 (1972)
Berman, R. F., Cannon, D. S.: The effect of prior ethanol experience on ethanol-induced saccharin aversions. Physiol. Behav. 12, 1041–1044 (1974)
Cappell, H., Le Blanc, A. E.: Conditioned aversion to saccharin by single administrations of mescaline and d-amphetamine. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 22, 352–356 (1971)
Cappell, H., Le Blanc, A. E.: Punishment of saccharin drinking by amphetamine in rats and its reversal by chlordiazepoxide. J. comp. physiol. Psychol. 85, 97–104 (1973)
Cappell, H., Le Blanc, A. E.: Conditioned aversion by psychoactive drugs: Does it have significance for an understanding of drug dependence? Addictive Behav. 1, 55–64 (1975)
Cappell, H., Le Blanc, A. E., Endrenyi, L.: Effects of chlordiazepoxide and ethanol on the extinction of a conditioned taste aversion. Physiol. Behav. 9, 167–169 (1972)
Cappell, H., Le Blanc, A. E., Endrenyi, L.: Aversive conditioning by psychoactive drugs: Effects of morphine, alcohol, and chlordiazepoxide. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 29, 239–246 (1973)
Elkins, R. L.: Bait-shyness acquisition and resistance to extinction as functions of US exposure prior to conditioning. Physiol. Psychol. 2, 341–343 (1974)
Elsmore, T. F.: Saccharin aversion induced by delta-9-tetra-hydrocannabinol: effects of repeated doses prior to pairing with saccharin. Proc. 80th Annual Convention Am. Psychol. Assoc., pp. 817–818 (1972)
Garcia, J., Hankins, W. G., Rusiniak, K. W.: Behavioural regulation of the milieu interne in man and rat. Science 185, 824–831 (1974)
Gotestam, K. G.: Self-administration of fenfluramine. Paper presented at International Symposium on Fenfluramine and Derivatives, Marbella, Spain (1974). Postgrad. med. J. 51 (Suppl. 1), 80–83 (1975)
Goudie, A. J., Taylor, M.: Time sampling of rat exploratory behaviour: A reliable screening test for the CNS effects of anorexic agents. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 35, 1–12 (1974)
Goudie, A. J., Taylor, M., Atherton, H.: The effect of prior drug experience on the establishment of taste aversions in rodents. Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. (in press, 1975)
Goudie, A. J., Taylor, M., Wheeler, T. J.: Chronic anorexic and behavioural effects of the fenfluramine metabolite, norfenfluramine: An evaluation of its role in actions of fenfluramine. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 38, 67–74 (1974)
Grote, F. W., Brown, R. T.: Conditioned taste aversions: Two-stimulus tests are more sensitive than one-stimulus tests. Behav. Res. Meth. Instr. 3, 311–312 (1971)
Le Blanc, A. E., Cappell, H.: Attenuation of punishing effects of morphine and amphetamine by chronic prior treatment. J. comp. physiol. Psychol. 87, 691–698 (1974)
Murphy, L. R., Brown, T. S.: Hippocampal lesions and learned taste aversion. Physiol. Psychol. 2, 60–64 (1974)
Panksepp, J., Booth, D. A.: Tolerance in the depression of intake when amphetamine is added to the rat's food. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 29, 49–54 (1973)
Parker, L., Failor, A., Weidman, K.: Conditioned preferences in the rat with an unnatural need state: Morphine withdrawal. J. comp. physiol. Psychol. 82, 294–300 (1973)
Segal, D. S., Mandell, A. J.: Long-term administration of d-amphetamine: Progressive augmentation of motor activity and stereotypes. Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. 2, 249–255 (1974)
Strouthies, A., Volvo, A. M., Unger, T.: Hunger, Thirst and their interactive effects on the rat's drinking in a saccharin-water choice. Physiol. Behav. 13, 53–157 (1974)
Taylor, M., Goudie, A. J., Williams, A.: The effects of chronic fenfluramine administration on behaviour and body weight. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 31, 63–76 (1973)
Tonge, S. R.: Noradrenaline and 5-hydroxytryptamine in six areas of rat brain during post-amphetamine depression. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 38, 181–186 (1974)
Woods, J. H., Tessel, R. E.: Fenfluramine: Amphetamine congener that fails to maintain drug-taking behaviour in the rhesus monkey. Science 185, 1066–1070 (1974)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Goudie, A.J., Thornton, E.W. Effects of drug experience on drug induced conditioned taste aversions: Studies with amphetamine and fenfluramine. Psychopharmacologia 44, 77–82 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00421187
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00421187