AIMTo investigate the effects of central amygdaloid nucleus (CeA) on the evaluation of taste in rats, and explore the mechanisms of the CeA in modulating the feeding behavior.

METHODSBy using two-bottle choice test, we measured the consumption of serials concentrations of NaCl, citric acid (CA), quinine HCl (QHCl) and sucrose in bilateral CeA lesioned rats, and compared the results to those in sham lesioned rats.

RESULTSThe CeA-lesioned rats exhibited a lower preference for NaCl at concentrations of 0.03; 0.1 and 0.3 mol/L, for CA at concentrations of 0.01; 0.1 and 1.0 mmol/L, and for QHCl at 10; 20 and 50 micromol/L, but the preference for serials of concentrations of sucrose are similar between two groups. By comparing the intake of adjacent concentrations of sapid solutions, it indicated that CeA-lesioned rats showed a lower distinction between adjacent concentrations of NaCl, CA and QHCl. However, the total consumption (water and tastants) during all the test sessions was not significantly different between two groups of rats.

CONCLUSIONLesion of CeA decreases the intake of tastants solution, but the effects on different concentrations of solution are different. It suggests that the CeA plays an important role in the normal response to exteroceptive food stimuli through impacting on the assessment of taste and altering the preference threshold of gustatory stimuli.