The central nucleus of the amygdala and gustatory cortex assess affective valence during CTA learning and expression in male and female rats

This study evaluated behavior (Boost(R) intake, LiCl-induced behaviors, ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), task performance) and c-fos activation during conditioned taste aversion (CTA) to understand how males and female rats assess the relative danger or safety of a stimulus in learning and performing a task. Females drank more Boost(R) than males but engaged in comparable aversive behaviors after LiCl treatment. Males produced 55 kHz USVs (indicating positive valence), when anticipating Boost(R) and inhibited these calls after pairing with LiCl. Females produced 55 kHz USVs based on their estrous cycle but were more likely to make 22 kHz USVs than males (indicating negative valence) after pairing with LiCl. C-fos responses were similar in males and females after Boost(R) or LiCl. Females engaged the gustatory cortex more than males during the reinforcing task and males engaged the amygdala more than females in both the reinforcing and devalued tasks. RNAscope identified a population of D1-receptor expressing cells in the CeA that responded to Boost(R) and D2 receptor-expressing cells that responded to LiCl. The present study suggests that males and females differentially process the affective valence of a stimulus to produce the same goal-directed behavior.