Research reportc-Fos positive nucleus reveals that contextual specificity of latent inhibition is dependent of insular cortex

•Insular cortex is involved in taste processing.•Contextual shift affects to insular cortex activity when a taste is used.•Contextual specificity of latent inhibition shows this phenomenon.•Immunopositive cells indicate different processing of a same taste under shift context.

The present study analyzed the functional activity of granular and agranular insular cortices in contextual specificity of latent inhibition using a conditioned taste aversion paradigm. c-Fos immunolabeling was examined in insular cortex in preexposed and no preexposed groups under similar and different context conditions. Result showed that the exposition to a novel taste increased c-fos activity in insular cortex. However, a context shift caused an increase in immunolabeling in animals preexposed to saccharine. These results suggest insular cortex is part of a complex system to evaluate taste-response, and it may read the meaning of taste stimuli depending on the context.