Behavioral conditioning of lipopolysaccharide-induced anorexia

One manifestation of the acute phase response, sickness behavior, is now considered an important response in the organism's overall attempt to reinstate homeostasis. This report aimed to determine whether the sickness behavior of anorexia was conditionable using the conditioned taste aversion paradigm. To investigate this phenomenon, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (100 micrograms/kg) was used as the unconditioned stimulus, and was paired with a novel 1% saccharin solution (conditioned stimulus). Upon conditioned stimulus representation, the anorectic effects of LPS were observed. These data are consistent with recent literature showing acute phase events to be conditionable.