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Jang M, Jung T, Jeong Y, Byun Y, Noh J. Oxytocin modulation in the medial prefrontal cortex of pair-exposed rats during fear conditioning. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 141:105752. [PMID: 35367716 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Social buffering is the phenomenon, in which stress and fear reactions caused by exposure to stressful stimuli when animals are exposed to homogeneous relationships are attenuated. Social buffering reduces fear memory behavior such as escape, avoidance, and freezing behavior in rodents due to social existence. Here, we aimed to determine alterations of fear behavior and neural activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in response to the presence of another rat in fear-exposed conditions and to confirm the role of oxytocin in mPFC in regulating social buffering. METHODS We performed a passive avoidance test and determined positive c-Fos expression in single- and pair-exposed rats. Anisomycin (a protein synthesis inhibitor) and oxytocin receptor regulators (carbetocin; agonist and atosiban; antagonist) were microinjected into the mPFC to clarify the role of oxytocin in the mPFC. RESULTS While single-exposed rats showed a significant increase in both freezing and passive avoidance behaviors compared to control rats, pair-exposed rats showed significantly less fear behavior compared to single-exposed rats. The c-Fos expression in the prelimbic (PL) mPFC was significantly increased in pair-exposed rats compared to that in control and single-exposed rats. The pair-exposed effect was blocked by anisomycin injections into the PL mPFC of pair-exposed rats. Furthermore, when a carbetocin was injected into the PL mPFC in single-exposed rats, fear behavior was decreased, and these changes were blocked by atosiban. DISCUSSION Our findings suggest that reduction of fear-related behavior induced by acute pair-exposure is mediated by oxytocin receptors in the PL mPFC. Pair exposure with conspecifics during fear-inducing situations helps coping with fear by significantly increasing the role of oxytocin in the PL mPFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minji Jang
- Department of Science Education, Dankook University, 152 Jukjeon-ro, Suji-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 16890, Republic of Korea
| | - Taesub Jung
- Department of Science Education, Dankook University, 152 Jukjeon-ro, Suji-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 16890, Republic of Korea
| | - Yujeong Jeong
- Department of Science Education, Dankook University, 152 Jukjeon-ro, Suji-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 16890, Republic of Korea
| | - Younsoo Byun
- Department of Science Education, Dankook University, 152 Jukjeon-ro, Suji-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 16890, Republic of Korea
| | - Jihyun Noh
- Department of Science Education, Dankook University, 152 Jukjeon-ro, Suji-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 16890, Republic of Korea.
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Dissociable roles of the nucleus accumbens core and shell subregions in the expression and extinction of conditioned fear. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100365. [PMID: 34355048 PMCID: PMC8319794 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens (NAc), consisting of core (NAcC) and shell (NAcS) sub-regions, has primarily been studied as a locus mediating the effects of drug reward and addiction. However, there is ample evidence that this region is also involved in regulating aversive responses, but the exact role of the NAc and its subregions in regulating associative fear processing remains unclear. Here, we investigated the specific contribution of the NAcC and NAcS in regulating both fear expression and fear extinction in C57BL/6J mice. Using Arc expression as an indicator of neuronal activity, we first show that the NAcC is specifically active only in response to an associative fear cue during an expression test. In contrast, the NAcS is specifically active during fear extinction. We next inactivated each subregion using lidocaine and demonstrated that the NAcC is necessary for fear expression, but not for extinction learning or consolidation of extinction. In contrast, we demonstrate that the NAcS is necessary for the consolidation of extinction, but not fear expression or extinction learning. Further, inactivation of mGluR1 or ERK signaling specifically in the NAcS disrupted the consolidation of extinction but had no effect on fear expression or extinction learning itself. Our data provide the first evidence for the importance of the ERK/MAPK pathway as the underlying neural mechanism facilitating extinction consolidation within the NAcS. These findings suggest that the NAc subregions play dissociable roles in regulating fear recall and the consolidation of fear extinction, and potentially implicate them as critical regions within the canonical fear circuit.
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Willadsen M, Uengoer M, Sługocka A, Schwarting RK, Homberg JR, Wöhr M. Fear Extinction and Predictive Trait-Like Inter-Individual Differences in Rats Lacking the Serotonin Transporter. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22137088. [PMID: 34209318 PMCID: PMC8268876 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22137088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are associated with a failure to sufficiently extinguish fear memories. The serotonergic system (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) with the 5-HT transporter (5-HTT, SERT) is strongly implicated in the regulation of anxiety and fear. In the present study, we examined the effects of SERT deficiency on fear extinction in a differential fear conditioning paradigm in male and female rats. Fear-related behavior displayed during acquisition, extinction, and recovery, was measured through quantification of immobility and alarm 22-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USV). Trait-like inter-individual differences in novelty-seeking, anxiety-related behavior, habituation learning, cognitive performance, and pain sensitivity were examined for their predictive value in forecasting fear extinction. Our results show that SERT deficiency strongly affected the emission of 22-kHz USV during differential fear conditioning. During acquisition, extinction, and recovery, SERT deficiency consistently led to a reduction in 22-kHz USV emission. While SERT deficiency did not affect immobility during acquisition, genotype differences started to emerge during extinction, and during recovery rats lacking SERT showed higher levels of immobility than wildtype littermate controls. Recovery was reflected in increased levels of immobility but not 22-kHz USV emission. Prominent sex differences were evident. Among several measures for trait-like inter-individual differences, anxiety-related behavior had the best predictive quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Willadsen
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenberg-Str. 18, D-35032 Marburg, Germany; (M.W.); (R.K.W.S.)
| | - Metin Uengoer
- Associative Learning, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenberg-Str. 18, D-35032 Marburg, Germany;
| | - Anna Sługocka
- Department for Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medyków 4, 40-752 Katowice, Poland;
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medyków 18, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
| | - Rainer K.W. Schwarting
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenberg-Str. 18, D-35032 Marburg, Germany; (M.W.); (R.K.W.S.)
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, Philipps-University of Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, D-35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Judith R. Homberg
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands;
| | - Markus Wöhr
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenberg-Str. 18, D-35032 Marburg, Germany; (M.W.); (R.K.W.S.)
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, Philipps-University of Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, D-35032 Marburg, Germany
- KU Leuven, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Research Unit Brain and Cognition, Laboratory of Biological Psychology, Social and Affective Neuroscience Research Group, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
- KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +32–16–19–45–57
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The role of carbonic anhydrases in extinction of contextual fear memory. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:16000-16008. [PMID: 32571910 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1910690117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Carbonic anhydrases (CAs; EC 4.2.1.1) are metalloenzymes present in mammals with 16 isoforms that differ in terms of catalytic activity as well as cellular and tissue distribution. CAs catalyze the conversion of CO2 to bicarbonate and protons and are involved in various physiological processes, including learning and memory. Here we report that the integrity of CA activity in the brain is necessary for the consolidation of fear extinction memory. We found that systemic administration of acetazolamide, a CA inhibitor, immediately after the extinction session dose-dependently impaired the consolidation of fear extinction memory of rats trained in contextual fear conditioning. d-phenylalanine, a CA activator, displayed an opposite action, whereas C18, a membrane-impermeable CA inhibitor that is unable to reach the brain tissue, had no effect. Simultaneous administration of acetazolamide fully prevented the procognitive effects of d-phenylalanine. Whereas d-phenylalanine potentiated extinction, acetazolamide impaired extinction also when infused locally into the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, basolateral amygdala, or hippocampal CA1 region. No effects were observed when acetazolamide or d-phenylalanine was infused locally into the substantia nigra pars compacta. Moreover, systemic administration of acetazolamide immediately after the extinction training session modulated c-Fos expression on a retention test in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex of rats trained in contextual fear conditioning. These findings reveal that the engagement of CAs in some brain regions is essential for providing the brain with the resilience necessary to ensure the consolidation of extinction of emotionally salient events.
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Goode TD, Maren S. Common neurocircuitry mediating drug and fear relapse in preclinical models. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:415-437. [PMID: 30255379 PMCID: PMC6373193 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-5024-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Comorbidity of anxiety disorders, stressor- and trauma-related disorders, and substance use disorders is extremely common. Moreover, therapies that reduce pathological fear and anxiety on the one hand, and drug-seeking on the other, often prove short-lived and are susceptible to relapse. Considerable advances have been made in the study of the neurobiology of both aversive and appetitive extinction, and this work reveals shared neural circuits that contribute to both the suppression and relapse of conditioned responses associated with trauma or drug use. OBJECTIVES The goal of this review is to identify common neural circuits and mechanisms underlying relapse across domains of addiction biology and aversive learning in preclinical animal models. We focus primarily on neural circuits engaged during the expression of relapse. KEY FINDINGS After extinction, brain circuits involving the medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus come to regulate the expression of conditioned responses by the amygdala, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and nucleus accumbens. During relapse, hippocampal projections to the prefrontal cortex inhibit the retrieval of extinction memories resulting in a loss of inhibitory control over fear- and drug-associated conditional responding. CONCLUSIONS The overlapping brain systems for both fear and drug memories may explain the co-occurrence of fear and drug-seeking behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis D Goode
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, 301 Old Main Dr., College Station, TX, 77843-3474, USA
| | - Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, 301 Old Main Dr., College Station, TX, 77843-3474, USA.
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Zeid D, Gould TJ. Chronic nicotine exposure in preadolescence enhances later spontaneous recovery of fear memory. Behav Neurosci 2018; 132:240-246. [PMID: 29975080 DOI: 10.1037/bne0000247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Preadolescent mice have been shown to be differentially susceptible to the effects of both acute and chronic nicotine exposure on contextual fear learning relative to adults. For this study, we tested the effects of chronic nicotine exposure in preadolescence on adulthood extinction and spontaneous recovery of fear memory in a model in which contextual fear acquisition occurred prior to nicotine exposure. Preadolescent (postnatal day 23) and adult (postnatal day 53) male C57BL/6J mice underwent contextual fear conditioning and were then exposed to chronic nicotine at 12.6 mg/kg/day for 12 days via osmotic minipump. Eighteen days following the removal of nicotine, both groups of mice underwent fear extinction, followed by a spontaneous recovery session a week later. History of chronic nicotine did not affect later extinction of fear memory in adult-trained mice, whereas adolescent-trained mice exhibited a global impairment in retention of fear memory that precluded detection of effects of early nicotine on later fear extinction. However, it was found that adult spontaneous recovery of fear memory was impaired in mice exposed to nicotine as adults and enhanced in mice exposed to nicotine as preadolescents. These results may indicate greater vulnerability to recurrence of traumatic memory as well as compromised inhibitory control in young smokers. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Dastgerdi AH, Radahmadi M, Pourshanazari AA, Dastgerdi HH. Effects of Crocin on Learning and Memory in Rats Under Chronic Restraint Stress with Special Focus on the Hippocampal and Frontal Cortex Corticosterone Levels. Adv Biomed Res 2017; 6:157. [PMID: 29387668 PMCID: PMC5767797 DOI: 10.4103/abr.abr_107_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Chronic stress adversely influences brain functions while crocin, as an effective component of saffron, exhibits positive effects on memory processes. This study investigated the effects of different doses of crocin on the improvement of learning and memory as well as corticosterone (CORT) levels in the hippocampus and frontal cortex of rats subjected to chronic stress. Materials and Methods: Forty male rats were randomly allocated to five different groups (n = 8): Control, sham; stress (6 h/day for 21 days) groups, and two groups receiving daily intraperitoneal injections of one of two doses (30 and 60 mg/kg) of crocin accompanied by 21 days of restraint stress. Latency was evaluated as a brain function using the passive avoidance test before and one-day after a foot shock. CORT levels were measured in the homogenized hippocampus and frontal cortex. Results: Results revealed that chronic stress had a significantly (P < 0.01) negative effect on memory. Crocin (30 and 60 mg/kg), however, gave increase to significantly (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05; respectively) improved memory functions in the stressed rats. Furthermore, the CORT levels in the hippocampus and frontal cortex declined significantly (P < 0.05) in the stress group compared to the control. Only a crocin dose of 30 mg/kg was observed modulate significantly (P < 0.05) the CORT levels in the hippocampus and frontal cortex in the stressed group. Conclusions: It was found that the lower crocin dose (30 mg/kg) had more beneficial effects than its higher (60 mg/kg) dose on learning and memory under chronic stress conditions. Moreover, it was speculated that different doses of crocin act on different neurotransmitters and biochemical factors in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maryam Radahmadi
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Ali Asghar Pourshanazari
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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Behavioral Changes in Mice Lacking Interleukin-33. eNeuro 2017; 4:eN-NWR-0147-17. [PMID: 29379874 PMCID: PMC5788055 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0147-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Revised: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Interleukin (IL)-33 is a member of the IL-1 family of cytokines. IL-33 is expressed in nuclei and secreted as alarmin upon cellular damage to deliver a danger signal to the surrounding cells. Previous studies showed that IL-33 is expressed in the brain and that it is involved in neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative processes in both humans and rodents. Nevertheless, the role of IL-33 in physiological brain function and behavior remains unclear. Here, we have investigated the behaviors of mice lacking IL-33 (Il33−/− mice). IL-33 is constitutively expressed throughout the adult mouse brain, mainly in oligodendrocyte-lineage cells and astrocytes. Notably, Il33−/− mice exhibited reduced anxiety-like behaviors in the elevated plus maze (EPM) and the open field test (OFT), as well as deficits in social novelty recognition, despite their intact sociability, in the three-chamber social interaction test. The immunoreactivity of c-Fos proteins, an indicator of neuronal activity, was altered in several brain regions implicated in anxiety-related behaviors, such as the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), amygdala, and piriform cortex (PCX), in Il33−/− mice after the EPM. Altered c-Fos immunoreactivity in Il33−/− mice was not correlated with IL-33 expression in wild-type (WT) mice nor was IL-33 expression affected by the EPM in WT mice. Thus, our study has revealed that Il33−/− mice exhibit multiple behavioral deficits, such as reduced anxiety and impaired social recognition. Our findings also indicate that IL-33 may regulate the development and/or maturation of neuronal circuits, rather than control neuronal activities in adult brains.
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Time-dependent role of prefrontal cortex and hippocampus on cognitive improvement by aripiprazole in olfactory bulbectomized mice. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2017; 27:1000-1010. [PMID: 28822602 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2017.08.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Revised: 07/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) modulates cognitive functions in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus. Olfactory bulbectomy (OBX) in mice induces cognitive dysfunctions. Recently, we reported that aripiprazole (ARI) normalizes the behavioral hyper-responsivity to DA agonists in OBX mice. However, it remains unclear whether ARI affects OBX-induced cognitive dysfunctions. To address this question we evaluated ARI-treated and untreated OBX mice in a passive avoidance test. Then, we investigated the effects of ARI on cell proliferation in the hippocampal dentate gyrus by immunohistochemistry, and on c-fos levels in the PFC and hippocampus, as well as nerve growth factor (NGF) levels in the hippocampus by western blotting. On the 14th day after surgery OBX mice showed an alteration in passive avoidance and decreases in both cell proliferation and levels of p-ERK, p-CREB and NGF in the hippocampus. The cognitive dysfunctions in OBX mice improved 30min to 24h after the administration of ARI (0.01mg/kg). C-fos levels in the PFC but not in the hippocampus was increased 30min after the administration (early response). This early response was inhibited by the selective D1 receptor antagonist SCH23390. Cell proliferation and NGF levels in the hippocampus increased 24h after ARI administration (late response), and these effects were also inhibited by SCH23390. The MEK1/2 inhibitor U0126 prevented ARI from improving the behavioral impairment as well as enhancing NGF levels in OBX mice. These findings revealed the potential of ARI to improve cognitive dysfunctions via D1 receptors with the PFC and hippocampus being affected sequentially.
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Wang YC, Lee HY, He ABH, Huang ACW. Examinations of CS and US preexposure and postexposure in conditioned taste aversion: Applications in behavioral interventions for chemotherapy anticipatory nausea and vomiting. LEARNING AND MOTIVATION 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lmot.2017.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Puddington MM, Daneri MF, Papini MR, Muzio RN. Telencephalic neural activation following passive avoidance learning in a terrestrial toad. Behav Brain Res 2016; 315:75-82. [PMID: 27498147 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2016] [Revised: 07/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The present study explores passive avoidance learning and its neural basis in toads (Rhinella arenarum). In Experiment 1, two groups of toads learned to move from a lighted compartment into a dark compartment. After responding, animals in the experimental condition were exposed to an 800-mM strongly hypertonic NaCl solution that leads to weight loss. Control animals received exposure to a 300-mM slightly hypertonic NaCl solution that leads to neither weight gain nor loss. After 10 daily acquisition trials, animals in the experimental group showed significantly longer latency to enter the dark compartment. Additionally, 10 daily trials in which both groups received the 300-mM NaCl solution after responding eliminated this group effect. Thus, experimental animals showed gradual acquisition and extinction of a passive avoidance respond. Experiment 2 replicated the gradual acquisition effect, but, after the last trial, animals were sacrificed and neural activation was assessed in five brain regions using AgNOR staining for nucleoli-an index of brain activity. Higher activation in the experimental animals, relative to controls, was observed in the amygdala and striatum. Group differences in two other regions, lateral pallium and septum, were borderline, but nonsignificant, whereas group differences in the medial pallium were nonsignificant. These preliminary results suggest that a striatal-amygdala activation could be a key component of the brain circuit controlling passive avoidance learning in amphibians. The results are discussed in relation to the results of analogous experiments with other vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martín M Puddington
- Grupo de Aprendizaje y Cognición Comparada, Laboratorio de Biología del Comportamiento, IBYME (CONICET) and Faculty of Psychology, University of Buenos Aires, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, 1428, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - M Florencia Daneri
- Grupo de Aprendizaje y Cognición Comparada, Laboratorio de Biología del Comportamiento, IBYME (CONICET) and Faculty of Psychology, University of Buenos Aires, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, 1428, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mauricio R Papini
- Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76129, USA
| | - Rubén N Muzio
- Grupo de Aprendizaje y Cognición Comparada, Laboratorio de Biología del Comportamiento, IBYME (CONICET) and Faculty of Psychology, University of Buenos Aires, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, 1428, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Buffalari DM, Mollica JK, Smith TT, Schassburger RL, Rinaman L, Thiels E, Donny EC, Sved AF. Nicotine Enhances Footshock- and Lithium Chloride-Conditioned Place Avoidance in Male Rats. Nicotine Tob Res 2016; 18:1920-3. [PMID: 27178831 DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntw098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2015] [Accepted: 03/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Numerous studies have shown that nicotine (NIC) can enhance the reinforcing effects of non-NIC stimuli through a nonassociative mechanism. To date, it is unclear whether NIC reinforcement enhancement serves to increase behaviors motivated by rewarding stimuli only, or whether NIC potentiates behavior motivated by all stimuli, regardless of valence. METHODS The current study used a place conditioning procedure to examine whether acute NIC injection modulates avoidance of an environment previously associated with an aversive stimulus. Separate groups of rats underwent place conditioning using either lithium chloride (125mg/kg/ml, i.p.) or footshock (0.75 mA) as the aversive stimulus. Other rats served as nonconditioned controls. The magnitude of place avoidance was assessed after acute NIC (0.1 or 0.4mg/kg/ml, s.c.) or saline. RESULTS Rats avoided chambers previously paired with either lithium chloride or footshock, and conditioned place avoidance was significantly enhanced by NIC pre-treatment. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that the ability of NIC to enhance motivated behavior extends to behaviors elicited by aversive stimuli, evidence that NIC affects behavior motivated by a broader range of stimuli than previously appreciated. IMPLICATIONS The current study examined whether the reinforcement enhancement properties of NIC apply to aversive stimuli by testing NIC enhancement of conditioned place avoidance in rats. The results demonstrate that NIC enhances the motivational impact of these distinct aversive stimuli, providing novel evidence that NIC affects behavior motivated by a broader range of stimuli than has previously been demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tracy T Smith
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | | | - Linda Rinaman
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Edda Thiels
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Eric C Donny
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Alan F Sved
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
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Lorivel T, Gandin C, Veyssière J, Lazdunski M, Heurteaux C. Positive effects of the traditional Chinese medicine MLC901 in cognitive tasks. J Neurosci Res 2015; 93:1648-63. [PMID: 25821139 PMCID: PMC6681465 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2014] [Revised: 01/29/2015] [Accepted: 03/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
MLC901 (NurAiDII) is used as a treatment for stroke patients. It has been shown that MLC901 improves motor and cognitive recovery in ischemic and traumatic brain‐injured rodents. The present study seeks to delineate cognitive effects induced by MLC901 in normal, noninjured mice. To this end, the behaviors of vehicle‐ and MLC901‐treated C57BL/6 mice in hippocampus‐dependent (passive avoidance, Morris water maze) and hippocampus‐independent (novel object recognition) cognitive tasks are compared. The potential influence of the compound on the anxiety level and nycthemeral rhythm of mice is also assessed. In addition, the long‐term effects of MLC901 on hippocampal neurogenesis are measured. The results clearly demonstrate that MLC901 promotes extinction in passive avoidance and reversal learning in the Morris water maze and improves the performance of mice in novel object recognition. In parallel, this study shows the long‐term proneurogenesis effects of MLC901 that result in the increase in the number of mature neurons in the hippocampus. If these observations can be extended to humans, then MLC901 could represent a promising therapeutic strategy. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Neuroscience Research Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Lorivel
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (CNRS UMR7275), Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis, Valbonne, France
| | - C Gandin
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (CNRS UMR7275), Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis, Valbonne, France
| | - J Veyssière
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (CNRS UMR7275), Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis, Valbonne, France
| | - M Lazdunski
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (CNRS UMR7275), Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis, Valbonne, France
| | - C Heurteaux
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (CNRS UMR7275), Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis, Valbonne, France
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Baldi E, Bucherelli C. Entorhinal cortex contribution to contextual fear conditioning extinction and reconsolidation in rats. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2014; 110:64-71. [PMID: 24569052 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2014.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2013] [Revised: 01/23/2014] [Accepted: 02/11/2014] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
During contextual fear conditioning a rat learns a temporal contiguity association between the exposition to a previously neutral context (CS) and an aversive unconditioned stimulus (US) as a footshock. This condition determines in the rat the freezing reaction during the subsequent re-exposition to the context. Potentially the re-exposition without US presentation initiates two opposing and competing processes: reconsolidation and extinction. Reconsolidation process re-stabilizes and strengthens the original memory and it is initiated by a brief re-exposure to context. Instead the extinction process leads to the decrease of the expression of the original memory and it is triggered by prolonged re-exposure to the context. Here we analyzed the entorhinal cortex (ENT) participation in contextual fear conditioning reconsolidation and extinction. The rats were trained in contextual fear conditioning and 24h later they were subjected either to a brief (2 min) reactivation session or to a prolonged (120 min) re-exposition to context to induce extinction of the contextual fear memory. Immediately after the reactivation or the extinction session, the animals were submitted to bilateral ENT TTX inactivation. Memory retention was assessed as conditioned freezing duration measured 72 h after TTX administration. The results showed that ENT inactivation both after reactivation and extinction session was followed by contextual freezing retention impairment. Thus, the present findings point out that ENT is involved in contextual fear memory reconsolidation and extinction. This neural structure might be part of parallel circuits underlying two phases of contextual fear memory processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Baldi
- Dipartimento di Medicina, Sperimentale e Clinica, Sezione di Fisiologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Viale G.B. Morgagni 63, I-50134 Firenze, Italy
| | - Corrado Bucherelli
- Dipartimento di Medicina, Sperimentale e Clinica, Sezione di Fisiologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Viale G.B. Morgagni 63, I-50134 Firenze, Italy.
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15
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McCall NM, Sprow GM, Delpire E, Thiele TE, Kash TL, Pleil KE. Effects of sex and deletion of neuropeptide Y2 receptors from GABAergic neurons on affective and alcohol drinking behaviors in mice. Front Integr Neurosci 2013; 7:100. [PMID: 24399943 PMCID: PMC3872329 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2013.00100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2013] [Accepted: 12/08/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A large literature has demonstrated that neuropeptide Y (NPY) regulates many emotional and reward-related behaviors via its primary receptors, Y1R and Y2R. Classically, NPY actions at postsynaptic Y1R decrease anxiety, depression, and alcohol drinking, while its actions at presynaptic Y2R produce the opposite behavioral phenotypes. However, emerging evidence suggests that activation of Y2R can also produce anxiolysis in a brain region and neurotransmitter system-dependent fashion. Further, numerous human and rodent studies have reported that females display higher levels of anxiety, depression, and alcohol drinking. In this study, we evaluated sex differences and the role of Y2R on GABAergic transmission in these behaviors using a novel transgenic mouse that lacks Y2R specifically in VGAT-expressing neurons (VGAT-Y2R knockout). First, we confirmed our genetic manipulation by demonstrating that Y2R protein expression was decreased and that a Y2R agonist could not alter GABAergic transmission in the extended amygdala, a limbic brain region critically implicated in the regulation of anxiety and alcohol drinking behaviors, using immunofluorescence and slice electrophysiology. Then, we tested male and female VGAT-Y2R knockout mice on a series of behavioral assays for anxiety, depression, fear, anhedonia, and alcohol drinking. We found that females displayed greater basal anxiety, higher levels of ethanol consumption, and faster fear conditioning than males, and that knockout mice exhibited enhanced depressive-like behavior in the forced swim test. Together, these results confirm previous studies that demonstrate higher expression of negative affective and alcohol drinking behaviors in females than males, and they highlight the importance of Y2R function in GABAergic systems in the expression of depressive-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora M McCall
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine Chapel Hill, NC, USA ; Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Gretchen M Sprow
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine Chapel Hill, NC, USA ; Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Eric Delpire
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN, USA ; Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Todd E Thiele
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine Chapel Hill, NC, USA ; Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Thomas L Kash
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine Chapel Hill, NC, USA ; Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Kristen E Pleil
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine Chapel Hill, NC, USA ; Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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16
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Schaap MWH, van Oostrom H, Doornenbal A, van 't Klooster J, Baars AM, Arndt SS, Hellebrekers LJ. Nociception and conditioned fear in rats: strains matter. PLoS One 2013; 8:e83339. [PMID: 24376690 PMCID: PMC3871561 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0083339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2013] [Accepted: 11/02/2013] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
When using rats in pain research, strain-related differences in outcomes of tests for pain and nociception are acknowledged. However, very little is known about the specific characteristics of these strain differences. In this study four phylogenetically distant inbred rat strains, i.e. Wistar Kyoto (WKY), Fawn Hooded (FH), Brown Norway (BN) and Lewis (LE), were investigated in different tests related to pain and nociception. During Pavlovian fear conditioning, the LE and WKY showed a significantly longer duration of freezing behaviour than the FH and BN. Additionally, differences in c-Fos expression in subregions of the prefrontal cortex and amygdala between rat strains during retrieval and expression of conditioned fear were found. For example, the BN did not show recruitment of the basolateral amygdala, whereas the WKY, FH and LE did. During the hot plate test, the WKY and LE showed a lower thermal threshold compared to the BN and FH. In a follow-up experiment, the two most contrasting strains regarding behaviour during the hot plate test and Pavlovian fear conditioning (i.e. FH and WKY) were selected and the hot plate test, Von Frey test and somatosensory-evoked potential (SEP) were investigated. During the Von Frey test, the WKY showed a lower mechanical threshold compared to the FH. When measuring the SEP, the FH appeared to be less reactive to increasing stimulus intensities when considering both peak amplitudes and latencies. Altogether, the combined results indicate various differences between rat strains in Pavlovian fear conditioning, nociception related behaviours and nociceptive processing. These findings demonstrate the necessity of using multiple rat strains when using tests including noxious stimuli and suggest that the choice of rat strains should be considered. When selecting a strain for a particular study it should be considered how this strain behaves during the tests used in that study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon W. H. Schaap
- Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Hugo van Oostrom
- Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Arie Doornenbal
- Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - José van 't Klooster
- Department of Animals in Science & Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Annemarie M. Baars
- Department of Animals in Science & Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Saskia S. Arndt
- Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Animals in Science & Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ludo J. Hellebrekers
- Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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