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Effect of preexposure on methylphenidate-induced taste avoidance and related BDNF/TrkB activity in the insular cortex of the rat

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Abstract

Rationale

Exogenous brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the insular cortex (IC) is known to influence conditioned taste avoidance (CTA) learning, but little is known of its endogenous role in the phenomenon. Preexposure to many abusable compounds attenuates their ability to induce CTA, thus providing a possible platform from which to further elucidate the endogenous role of IC BDNF in CTA.

Objectives

The role of IC BDNF in CTA learning was examined by assessing the effect of preexposure to methylphenidate (MPH) on MPH-induced CTA, followed by expression between preexposure groups of BDNF in the IC, central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), and the nucleus accumbens (NAc).

Methods

Following preexposure to MPH (18 mg/kg), CTAs induced by MPH (0, 10, 18, and 32 mg/kg) were assessed in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 64). In separate groups (n = 31), differences in BDNF and tropomyosin-related kinase receptor-B (TrkB) were assessed using Western blots following similar preexposure and conditioning procedures.

Results

Preexposure to MPH significantly blunted MPH-CTA compared to preexposure to vehicle. Unexpectedly, there were no significant effects of MPH on BDNF activity following CTA, but animals preexposed to MPH exhibited decreased activity in the CeA and enhanced activity in the IC and NAc.

Conclusions

Preexposure to MPH attenuates its aversive effects on subsequent presentations, and BDNF’s impact on CTA learning may be dependent upon its temporal relation to other CTA-related intracellular cascades.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Anand Adhikari and Ben Taylor from the Department of Biology, American University for their technical assistance with the Western blot and densitometry analyses. This work was supported by a grant from the Mellon Foundation to ALR, a Dean’s Graduate Research Grant to BBW and a Dean’s Undergraduate Research Grant to MMM.

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There are no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychopharmacology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, American University, Washington, DC, 20016, USA

    B. Bradley Wetzell, Mirabella M. Muller, Shaun M. Flax, Heather E. King & Anthony L. Riley

  2. Department of Biology, American University, Washington, DC, 20016, USA

    Kathleen DeCicco-Skinner & Anthony L. Riley

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  1. B. Bradley Wetzell
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  2. Mirabella M. Muller
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  6. Anthony L. Riley
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Correspondence to B. Bradley Wetzell.

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Wetzell, B.B., Muller, M.M., Flax, S.M. et al. Effect of preexposure on methylphenidate-induced taste avoidance and related BDNF/TrkB activity in the insular cortex of the rat. Psychopharmacology 232, 2837–2847 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-015-3924-z

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