Gustatory and visceral inputs to the amygdala of the rat: conditioned taste aversion and induction of c-fos-like immunoreactivity.

Expression of proto-oncogene c-fos was immunohistochemically examined in the central and basolateral amygdaloid nuclei in rats after ingestion of taste solutions (0.5 M sucrose or 0.005 M saccharin), intragastric infusion of these solutions, or an intraperitoneal injection of malaise-inducing lithium chloride (LiCl). C-Fos-like immunoreactive neurons were distributed most densely in the central nucleus in response to the LiCl injection, followed by the ingestion and intragastric infusion of sucrose. The intraoral infusion of sucrose, but not of saccharin, elicited intense c-fos expression in the central nucleus after establishment of conditioned taste aversion to these taste stimuli. The results are discussed in terms of post-ingestional factors and the conditioned illness reaction after taste aversion learning.