Effects of pretraining treatment with testosterone on successive and anticipatory negative contrast

JUSTEL, N. R.; RUETTI, E. M.; MUSTACA, A. E.

Huerta Grande. Cordoba

Congreso; XXVI Congreso de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencias; 2011

Sociedad Argentina de Neurociencias

Previous research showed that the suppression of consummatory behavior that follows incentive downshift in male rats is attenuated by testosterone (T) administration during training. The present experiments assess the role of pretraining T administration on successive negative contrast (cSNC) and anticipatory negative contrast (cANC). In cSNC, groups received a single 5-min trial per day of access to sucrose solution. After 10 trials of access to 32% sucrose, Group 32-4 was exposed to a downshift to 4% sucrose for 5 additional trials and its performance was compared to Group 4-4, which received access to 4% sucrose during 15 trials. The downshift leads to consummatory suppression in 32-4 relative to 4-4. Pretraining T administration enhanced consummatory behavior in rats from Group 4-4, but had otherwise no effects on cSNC per se. In cANC, groups received 2 trials per day separated by a short midtrial interval. For Group 4-32, the first trial each day was 4% sucrose and the second trial was 32% sucrose. For Group 4-4, both trials each day were 4% sucrose. Consummatory behavior in the first trial was suppressed in Group 4-32 relative to 4-4, and pretraining T administration increased responding for 4% sucrose independently of the incentive contrast manipulation.