Date of Award
12-1985
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Dr. M. Kay Malott
Second Advisor
Dr. Jack Michael
Third Advisor
Dr. David Lyon
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
The antiestrogen tamoxifen citrate (Stuart Pharmaceuticals) is indicated for treatment of breast cancer. Tamoxifen (TMX) is frequently employed because of demonstrated effectiveness in tumor reduction and a low incidence of debilitating side effects compared to similar agents. Even though side effects are uncommon with use of TMX, medical and behavioral sequalae have been noted. The present , . study investigated several behaviors in female rats administered TMX in two separate studies. In the first investigation, the effects of 25 daily treatments of TMX upon body weight, water intake, and several behaviors were assayed. In the second study, aversion to a saccharin solution (CS) temporally paired with TMX (UCS) was assessed. Results from Experiment I indicated that TMX exerted a decremental effect, upon body weight; differences in water intake were also noted while behaviors recorded during the behavioral assays were not affected. In Experiment II, following five pairings of saccharin solution with TMX, subjects did not evidence avoidance of saccharin across treatment trials. It is suggested that TMX's selective effect upon body weight mimicked the effects of estrogen-induced weight loss affecting receptor sites of the hypothalamus, anterior pituitary, liver, and adipose tissue.
Recommended Citation
Anderson, Steven J., "Tamoxifen Effects upon Body Weight, Water Intake, and Several Behaviors, and Tamoxifen’s Unconditioned Stimulus Properties in the Conditioned Taste Aversion Paradigm" (1985). Masters Theses. 1367.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/1367