N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist D-APV selectively disrupts taste-potentiated odor aversion learning

Abstract

Examined in 2 experiments the effects of the competitive N-methyl-{d}-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist {d}-APV ({d}-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate) on rats' ability to acquire potentiated aversions to the odor element of a taste–odor compound. In Exp 1, pretreatment with {d}-APV (2.5 ?g/side icv) caused stereospecific deficits in potentiated odor aversion learning but left simple taste and odor aversion learning intact. In Exp 2, pretreatment with {d}-APV had no effect on rats' acquisition of an illness-based odor discrimination task. These results parallel those previously obtained using a noncompetitive NMDA antagonist (G. S. Robinson et al, 1989) and show that interference with NMDA receptors can selectively impair potentiated odor aversion learning. These results suggest that NMDA receptors play a critical role in some, but not all, forms of learning and memory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)