The effect of corticosterone on the acquisition of Pavlovian conditioned approach behavior is dependent on sex and vendor

Cues in the environment become predictors of biologically relevant stimuli, such as food, through associative learning. These cues can not only act as predictors but can also be attributed with incentive motivational value and gain control over behavior. When a cue is imbued with incentive salience, it attains the ability to elicit maladaptive behaviors characteristic of psychopathology. We can capture the propensity to attribute incentive salience to a reward cue in rats using a Pavlovian conditioned approach paradigm, in which the presentation of a discrete lever-cue is followed by the delivery of a food reward. Upon learning the cue-reward relationship, some rats, termed sign-trackers, develop a conditioned response directed towards the lever-cue; whereas others, termed goal-trackers, approach the food cup upon lever-cue presentation. Here, we assessed the effects of systemic corticosterone (CORT) on the acquisition and expression of sign- and goal-tracking behaviors in male and female rats, while examining the role of the vendor (Charles River or Taconic) from which the rats originated in these effects. Male and female rats from Charles River had a greater tendency to sign-track than those from Taconic. Administration of CORT enhanced the acquisition of sign-tracking behavior in males from Charles River and females from both vendors. Conversely, administration of CORT had no effect on the expression of the conditioned response. These findings demonstrate a role for CORT in cue-reward learning and suggest that inherent tendencies towards sign- or goal-tracking may interact with this physiological mediator of motivated behavior.