Effects of trimethyltin chloride on the LiCl dose-response function for conditioned taste aversions in rats

Twenty-one days following intragastric administration of 6.0 mg/kg of TMT (TMT chloride base/kg) or equivolume distilled water, groups of rats were injected with various doses of LiCl (0, 0.15, 0.60 or 1.8 mEq/kg) following the consumption of a novel saccharin solution. Both groups subsequently avoided the consumption of saccharin, with the degree of the aversion directly related to the dose of LiCl. Further, there was no difference between the TMT- and non-TMT-treated rats in the degree of aversion at any dose. These data suggest that the previously-reported effect of TMT on long-delay taste aversion learning was not likely due to changes in sensory responsiveness.