Effects of amygdala or hippocampus lesion on hypergravity-induced motion sickness in rats

We examined the effects of amygdala lesion (AL) or hippocampal lesion (HL) on hypergravity-induced motion sickness in rats. Rats do not vomit, but the behavior known as pica, the eating of non-nutritive substances such as kaolin, can be used as an index of motion sickness. In the present study, hypergravity-induced kaolin intake and apomorphine-induced kaolin intake were measured before and after brain lesions. After AL, hypergravity-induced kaolin intake and the ratio of the hypergravity- to apomorphine-induced kaolin intakes were decreased. These results indicate that AL suppressed motion sickness more than pica behavior itself, suggesting that the amygdala plays an important role in the development of motion sickness in rats. Conversely, after HL, hypergravity-induced kaolin intake was increased, as was the ratio of the hypergravity- to apomorphine-induced kaolin intakes. These results indicate that HL aggravates motion sickness induced by hypergravity in rats, suggesting that the hippocampus counteracts motion sickness.