The effect of toluene preexposure on the acquisition of cocaine-induced conditioned taste aversions

Little exists on the serial interaction between toluene, a commonly used inhalant, and cocaine when one drug is given prior to the administration of the other. In Experiment 1, rats were given 20 preexposures to toluene (400 mg/kg, administered intraperitioneally (ip) 5 days a week) prior to taste aversion conditioning with cocaine (32 mg/kg, administered subcutaneously (sc) for a total of four conditioning trials). Under these conditions, animals preexposed to toluene and conditioned with cocaine displayed aversions to the cocaine-associated solution, drinking at levels comparable to nonpreexposed conditioned subjects. In Experiment 2, rats were given 20 preexposures to toluene prior to taste aversion conditioning with toluene (procedure and dose same as that used in Experiment 1). Under these conditions, animals preexposed to and conditioned with toluene displayed attenuated aversions to the toluene-associated solution, drinking significantly greater amounts of NaCl than nonpreexposed subjects, in both one and two-bottle tests.