Chorda tympani nerve transection disrupts taste aversion learning to potassium chloride, but not sodium chloride.

In Experiment 1, rats with chorda tympani nerve transection (CTX) acquired a LiCl-conditioned taste aversion to 0.1 M NaCl at the same rate as controls. After 3 conditioning trials, the aversion generalized to 0.03 and 0.3 M NaCl, but did not generalize to KCl (0.03, 0.1, and 0.3 M), in either the sham or CTX group. In Experiment 2, the sham group, but not the CTX group, formed an aversion to 0.1 M KCl after l trial. The CTX rats did form a moderate aversion after 2 conditioning trials. Following the 3rd trial, the CTX group did not suppress licking to 0.03 or 0.3 M KCl or any concentration of NaCl in relation to controls. Although there is strong evidence that CTX affects NaCl taste perception, these findings indicate that, under certain conditions, rats can nonetheless distinguish NaCl from KCl after such neurotomy. Moreover, CTX appears to have a substantial effect on the perceived intensity of KCl. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)