Deoxynivalenol (vomitoxin)-induced conditioned taste aversions in rats are mediated by the chemosensitive area postrema.

The present experiments used a conditioned aversion to a novel saccharin taste to assess the aversive effects of deoxynivalenol (vomitoxin) administration, and to examine the putative mediating role of the chemosensitive area postrema (AP). In experiment 1 adult male rats drank a novel 0.15% saccharin solution followed by injection of deoxynivalenol (n = 7; 0.125 mg/kg, IP) or vehicle (n = 7; propylene glycol, 0.5 ml/kg). In subsequent two-bottle preference tests the rats conditioned with deoxynivalenol displayed significantly (p < 0.01) lower absolute and relative saccharin intake levels in comparison to control rats which exhibited a strong preference for saccharin solution. In experiment 2 adult male rats received area postrema ablations (n = 6) or sham lesions (n = 6). On two conditioning days all rats drank a novel 0.15% saccharin solution followed by injections of deoxynivalenol (0.125 mg/kg, IP). In subsequent two-bottle preference tests the sham-lesioned rats displayed a significant (p < 0.01) aversion to the saccharin stimulus, relative to the area postrema-ablated rats which exhibited a preference for the saccharin solution. Thus, systemic administration of deoxynivalenol, following a novel taste, induced conditioned taste aversions which were mediated by the area postrema.