Effects of Oxytocin on the Formation of a Food-Procuring Reflex in Rats

Abstract

In experiments on albino rats, we studied the process of formation of a food-procuring conditioned reflex (receipt of the food reward from one of two feedboxes designated by the visual conditioning signal) and characteristics of behavior in the open field test. It was found that course injections of oxytocin (4 μg daily, 15 min prior to the test for 12 days) relatively slightly influenced the process of development of the food-procuring conditioned reaction (animals reached the 80% critical level of correct differentiations practically simultaneously), but rats injected with oxytocin demonstrated smaller manifestations of anxiety, more rapid food-procuring activity, and higher intensity of motor/research activities in the open field. In general, food-procuring behavior under the action of oxytocin develops more effectively at the expense of formation of a more favorable emotional/autonomic background.