Taste memory involves storing information through plasticity changes in the neural network of taste, including the insular cortex (IC) and ventral tegmental area (VTA), a critical provider of dopamine. Although a VTA-IC dopaminergic pathway has been demonstrated, its role to consolidate taste recognition memory remains poorly understood. We found that photostimulation of dopaminergic neurons in the VTA or VTA-IC dopaminergic terminals of TH-Cre mice improves the salience to consolidate a subthreshold novel taste stimulus regardless of its hedonic value, without altering their taste palatability. Importantly, the inhibition of the D1-like receptor into the IC impairs the salience to facilitate consolidation of an aversive taste recognition memory. Finally, our results showed that VTA photostimulation improves the salience to consolidate a conditioned taste aversion memory through the D1-like receptor into the IC. It is concluded that the dopamine activity from the VTA into IC is required to increase the salience enabling the consolidation of a taste recognition memory. Notably, the D1-like receptor activity into the IC is required to consolidate both innate and learned aversive taste memories but not appetitive taste memory.

A series of 1,3-substituted 8-styrylxanthines (11a-d) was synthesized, under chemo-and regioselective conditions, in a good overall yield. The compounds showed affinity towards both A 1 and A 2A -adenosine receptors by radioligand binding by means of in vitro assays. The (E)-3-ethyl-1-propyl-8-styrylxanthine (11a) showed the greatest affinity towards the A 2A receptor, whereas (E)-3-pentyl-1-propyl-8-styrylxanthine (11d) showed the greatest affinity for the A 1 receptor. When the 8-styrylxanthines 11a (A15Et) and 11c (A15Bu) were administrated in rats, which were previously injured with 6-hydroxydopamine at the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), the turning behavior decreased 50%. Based on these results we propose to A15Et as a potential compound to treat some symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

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