Anisomycin infusions in the parabrachial nucleus and taste neophobia

To investigate whether de novo protein synthesis in the parabrachial nucleus (PBN) is required for recovery from taste neophobia, anisomycin (a protein synthesis inhibitor) was infused immediately after consumption of a novel saccharin solution (Experiment 1). Unexpectedly, this PBN treatment caused a reduction in saccharin intake. In addition, we found that the anisomycin-induced suppression of tastant intake was attenuated by prior intra-PBN infusions of lidocaine (Experiment 2). This pattern of results raises concerns about using anisomycin to investigate memory consolidation processes in the PBN. Thus, a different manipulation may be needed to examine the nature of the neuroplastic changes that occur in the PBN during taste memory formation.

► We examined the effect of intra-PBN infusions of anisomycin on taste neophobia. ► Contrary to expectations, anisomycin suppressed intake of the saccharin tastant. ► Pre-treatment with lidocaine attenuated the taste suppressing effect of anisomycin.