Increased beta adrenoceptor activation overcomes conditioned olfactory learning deficits induced by serotonin depletion
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 31, 2026

An Olfactory Preference Test for Measuring Olfactory Hedonic Biases in Mouse Models of Depression
Published on: July 11, 2025
P E Langdon1, C W Harley, J H McLean
1Division of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada.
Abstract:
It was hypothesized that 5-HT2 receptors in the olfactory bulb prime the bulbar response to a beta adrenoceptor mediated unconditioned stimulus (UCS) during odor preference learning in 1-week-old rat pups. The ability of 4 mg/kg of isoproterenol + stroking and 6 mg/kg of isoproterenol + no stroking to induce normal odor preference learning in pups depleted of bulbar 5-HT in the present study supports the hypothesis. The inverted-U curve relation between UCS strength and learning also appears to occur within the bulb.
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