The effect of androgen on the retention of extinction memory after conditioned taste aversion in mice

Conditioned taste aversion (CTA) induced by the application of a novel taste such as sodium saccharin (Sac) as the conditioned stimulus (CS) and a malaise-inducing agent as the unconditioned stimulus (US), results in acquisition of CTA memory to Sac. In contrast, CTA is extinguished by repeated presentations of the CS without the US, resulting in acquisition of the extinction memory. We examined the effects of androgenic hormones on acquisition and retention of extinction memory in mice. We gonadectomized sexually immature mice and continuously administered androgens to these animals. After sexual maturation, the mice underwent a conditioning period followed by an extinction period. Retrieval tests revealed that the androgen-treated group showed significantly greater retention of extinction memory than the non-treated group 5 weeks later, whereas such significant difference was not observed in acquisition of extinction memory. These results demonstrate the enhancing effect of androgens on retention of extinction memory.