Brief Communication 1-Adrenoceptor or 1-adrenoceptor activation initiates early odor preference learning in rat pups: Support for the mitral cell/cAMP model of odor preference learning

We proposed that mitral cell 1-adrenoceptor activation mediates rat pup odor preference learning. Here we evaluate 1-, 2-, 1-, and 2-adrenoceptor agonists in such learning. The 1-adrenoceptor agonist, dobutamine, and the 1-adrenoceptor agonist, phenylephrine, induced learning, and both exhibited an inverted U-curve dose-response relationship to odor preference learning. Phenylephrine-induced learning occurred in the presence of propranolol to prevent indirect activation of -adrenoceptors. 1-Adrenoceptor mediation may represent a novel mechanism inducing learning or may increase cAMP in mitral cells via indirect activation of GABAB receptors. Neither the 2-adrenoceptor agonist, salbutamol, nor the 2-adrenoceptor agonist, clonidine, induced learning.