COMPARATIVE POTENCIES OF AMPHETAMINE, FENFLURAMINE AND RELATED COMPOUNDS IN TASTE AVERSION EXPERIMENTS IN RATS

Abstract

Rats failed to drink a flavoured solution when its consumption had been followed by injection of amphetamine (conditioned taste aversion). There was very little difference between the potencies of (+)‐ and (‐)‐amphetamine. p‐Chloromethamphetamine was a more potent aversive agent than methamphetamine. Strong taste aversions were also conditioned with other congeners of amphetamine. The rank order of potency was: fenfluramine > chlorphentermine >p‐hydroxyamphetamine. Cocaine induced only moderate taste aversions, even at high doses. Aversive potency did not appear to be correlated with known neurochemical actions of the drugs or with behavioural stimulation, but appeared to be a central action which may have been linked to anorexigenic potency or time course of action. 1977 British Pharmacological Society