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Hacohen-Brown S, Gilboa-Schechtman E, Zaidel A. Modality-specific effects of threat on self-motion perception. BMC Biol 2024; 22:120. [PMID: 38783286 PMCID: PMC11119305 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01911-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Threat and individual differences in threat-processing bias perception of stimuli in the environment. Yet, their effect on perception of one's own (body-based) self-motion in space is unknown. Here, we tested the effects of threat on self-motion perception using a multisensory motion simulator with concurrent threatening or neutral auditory stimuli. RESULTS Strikingly, threat had opposite effects on vestibular and visual self-motion perception, leading to overestimation of vestibular, but underestimation of visual self-motions. Trait anxiety tended to be associated with an enhanced effect of threat on estimates of self-motion for both modalities. CONCLUSIONS Enhanced vestibular perception under threat might stem from shared neural substrates with emotional processing, whereas diminished visual self-motion perception may indicate that a threatening stimulus diverts attention away from optic flow integration. Thus, threat induces modality-specific biases in everyday experiences of self-motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shira Hacohen-Brown
- Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Eva Gilboa-Schechtman
- Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Adam Zaidel
- Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat Gan, Israel.
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2
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Knox D, Parikh V. Basal forebrain cholinergic systems as circuits through which traumatic stress disrupts emotional memory regulation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 159:105569. [PMID: 38309497 PMCID: PMC10948307 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Contextual and spatial systems facilitate changes in emotional memory regulation brought on by traumatic stress. Cholinergic basal forebrain (chBF) neurons provide input to contextual/spatial systems and although chBF neurons are important for emotional memory, it is unknown how they contribute to the traumatic stress effects on emotional memory. Clusters of chBF neurons that project to the prefrontal cortex (PFC) modulate fear conditioned suppression and passive avoidance, while clusters of chBF neurons that project to the hippocampus (Hipp) and PFC (i.e. cholinergic medial septum and diagonal bands of Broca (chMS/DBB neurons) are critical for fear extinction. Interestingly, neither Hipp nor PFC projecting chMS/DBB neurons are critical for fear extinction. The retrosplenial cortex (RSC) is a contextual/spatial memory system that receives input from chMS/DBB neurons, but whether this chMS/DBB-RSC circuit facilitates traumatic stress effects on emotional memory remain unexplored. Traumatic stress leads to neuroinflammation and the buildup of reactive oxygen species. These two molecular processes may converge to disrupt chBF circuits enhancing the impact of traumatic stress on emotional memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dayan Knox
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.
| | - Vinay Parikh
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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3
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Kaplan GB, Thompson BL. Neuroplasticity of the extended amygdala in opioid withdrawal and prolonged opioid abstinence. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1253736. [PMID: 38044942 PMCID: PMC10690374 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1253736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Opioid use disorder is characterized by excessive use of opioids, inability to control its use, a withdrawal syndrome upon discontinuation of opioids, and long-term likelihood of relapse. The behavioral stages of opioid addiction correspond with affective experiences that characterize the opponent process view of motivation. In this framework, active involvement is accompanied by positive affective experiences which gives rise to "reward craving," whereas the opponent process, abstinence, is associated with the negative affective experiences that produce "relief craving." Relief craving develops along with a hypersensitization to the negatively reinforcing aspects of withdrawal during abstinence from opioids. These negative affective experiences are hypothesized to stem from neuroadaptations to a network of affective processing called the "extended amygdala." This negative valence network includes the three core structures of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), and the nucleus accumbens shell (NAc shell), in addition to major inputs from the basolateral amygdala (BLA). To better understand the major components of this system, we have reviewed their functions, inputs and outputs, along with the associated neural plasticity in animal models of opioid withdrawal. These models demonstrate the somatic, motivational, affective, and learning related models of opioid withdrawal and abstinence. Neuroadaptations in these stress and motivational systems are accompanied by negative affective and aversive experiences that commonly give rise to relapse. CeA neuroplasticity accounts for many of the aversive and fear-related effects of opioid withdrawal via glutamatergic plasticity and changes to corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF)-containing neurons. Neuroadaptations in BNST pre-and post-synaptic GABA-containing neurons, as well as their noradrenergic modulation, may be responsible for a variety of aversive affective experiences and maladaptive behaviors. Opioid withdrawal yields a hypodopaminergic and amotivational state and results in neuroadaptive increases in excitability of the NAc shell, both of which are associated with increased vulnerability to relapse. Finally, BLA transmission to hippocampal and cortical regions impacts the perception of conditioned aversive effects of opioid withdrawal by higher executive systems. The prevention or reversal of these varied neuroadaptations in the extended amygdala during opioid withdrawal could lead to promising new interventions for this life-threatening condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary B Kaplan
- Mental Health Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
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4
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Penzo MA, Moscarello JM. From aversive associations to defensive programs: experience-dependent synaptic modifications in the central amygdala. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:701-711. [PMID: 37495461 PMCID: PMC10529247 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Plasticity elicited by fear conditioning (FC) is thought to support the storage of aversive associative memories. Although work over the past decade has revealed FC-induced plasticity beyond canonical sites in the basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA), it is not known whether modifications across distributed circuits make equivalent or distinct contributions to aversive memory. Here, we review evidence demonstrating that experience-dependent synaptic plasticity in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) has a circumscribed role in memory expression per se, guiding the selection of defensive programs in response to acquired threats. We argue that the CeA may be a key example of a broader phenomenon by which synaptic plasticity at specific nodes of a distributed network makes a complementary contribution to distinct memory processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario A Penzo
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Justin M Moscarello
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
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5
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Sex differences in fear responses: Neural circuits. Neuropharmacology 2023; 222:109298. [PMID: 36328063 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Women have increased vulnerability to PTSD and anxiety disorders compared to men. Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of these disorders is critical for identifying risk factors and developing appropriate sex-specific interventions. Despite the clear clinical relevance of an examination of sex differences in fear responses, the vast majority of pre-clinical research on fear learning and memory formation has exclusively used male animals. This review highlights sex differences in context and cued fear conditioning, fear extinction and fear generalization with a focus on the neural circuits underlying these behaviors in rodents. There are mixed reports of behavioral sex differences in context and cued fear conditioning paradigms, which can depend upon the behavioral indices of fear. However, there is greater evidence of differential activation of the hippocampus, amygdalar nuclei and the prefrontal cortical regions in male and female rodents during context and cued fear conditioning. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), a sexually dimorphic structure, is of particular interest as it differentially contributes to fear responses in males and females. In addition, while the influence of the estrous cycle on different phases of fear conditioning is delineated, the clearest modulatory effect of estrogen is on fear extinction processes. Examining the variability in neural responses and behavior in both sexes should increase our understanding of how that variability contributes to the neurobiology of affective disorders. This article is part of the Special Issue on 'Fear, anxiety and PTSD'.
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6
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Bedenbaugh MN, Brener SC, Maldonado J, Lippert RN, Sweeney P, Cone RD, Simerly RB. Organization of neural systems expressing melanocortin-3 receptors in the mouse brain: Evidence for sexual dimorphism. J Comp Neurol 2022; 530:2835-2851. [PMID: 35770983 PMCID: PMC9724692 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The central melanocortin system is fundamentally important for controlling food intake and energy homeostasis. Melanocortin-3 receptor (MC3R) is one of two major receptors of the melanocortin system found in the brain. In contrast to the well-characterized melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R), little is known regarding the organization of MC3R-expressing neural circuits. To increase our understanding of the intrinsic organization of MC3R neural circuits, identify specific differences between males and females, and gain a neural systems level perspective of this circuitry, we conducted a brain-wide mapping of neurons labeled for MC3R and characterized the distribution of their projections. Analysis revealed MC3R neuronal and terminal labeling in multiple brain regions that control a diverse range of physiological functions and behavioral processes. Notably, dense labeling was observed in the hypothalamus, as well as areas that share considerable connections with the hypothalamus, including the cortex, amygdala, thalamus, and brainstem. Additionally, MC3R neuronal labeling was sexually dimorphic in several areas, including the anteroventral periventricular area, arcuate nucleus, principal nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and ventral premammillary region. Altogether, anatomical evidence reported here suggests that MC3R has the potential to influence several different classes of motivated behavior that are essential for survival, including ingestive, reproductive, defensive, and arousal behaviors, and is likely to modulate these behaviors differently in males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle N. Bedenbaugh
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Samantha C. Brener
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jose Maldonado
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Rachel N. Lippert
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Patrick Sweeney
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Roger D. Cone
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Richard B. Simerly
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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7
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Viden A, Ch'ng SS, Walker LC, Shesham A, Hamilton SM, Smith CM, Lawrence AJ. Organisation of enkephalin inputs and outputs of the central nucleus of the amygdala in mice. J Chem Neuroanat 2022; 125:102167. [PMID: 36182026 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2022.102167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Revised: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) is a key hub integrating sensory inputs and modulating behavioural outputs. The CeA is a complex structure with discrete subdivisions, high peptidergic heterogeneity and broad CNS afferent and efferent projections. While several neuropeptide systems within the CeA have been examined in detail, less is known about CeA preproenkephalin (ppENK) cells. Here, we used a recently developed transgenic Penk-Cre mouse line to advance our understanding of the efferent and afferent connectivity of ppENK in the CeA. First, to determine the fidelity of Cre expression in Penk-Cre transgenic mice, we conducted RNAscope in the CeA of Penk-Cre mice. Our analysis revealed that 96.6% of CeA Cre+ neurons co-expressed pENK mRNA, and 99.7% of CeA pENK+ neurons co-expressed Cre mRNA, indicating faithful recapitulation of Cre expression in CeA ppENK-expressing cells, supporting the fidelity of the Penk-Cre reporter mouse. Anterograde tracing of CeAPenk cells showed strong efferent projections to the extended amygdala, midbrain and hindbrain PBN and NTS. Retrograde tracing of Penk afferents to the CeA were more restricted, with primary innervation originating within the amygdala complex and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and minor innervation from the parabrachial nucleus and nucleus of the solitary tract. Together, our data provide a comprehensive map of ENKergic efferent and afferent connectivity of the CeA in Penk-Cre mice. Further, we highlight both the utility and limitations of the Penk-Cre mice to study the function of CeA, PBN and NTS ppENK cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aida Viden
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC 3052
| | - Sarah S Ch'ng
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC 3052
| | - Leigh C Walker
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC 3052; Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052
| | - Arnav Shesham
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC 3052; Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800
| | - Sabine M Hamilton
- School of Medicine, IMPACT, Institute for Innovation in Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC 3216, Australia
| | - Craig M Smith
- School of Medicine, IMPACT, Institute for Innovation in Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC 3216, Australia
| | - Andrew J Lawrence
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC 3052; Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052.
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8
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Watts AG, Kanoski SE, Sanchez-Watts G, Langhans W. The physiological control of eating: signals, neurons, and networks. Physiol Rev 2022; 102:689-813. [PMID: 34486393 PMCID: PMC8759974 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00028.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
During the past 30 yr, investigating the physiology of eating behaviors has generated a truly vast literature. This is fueled in part by a dramatic increase in obesity and its comorbidities that has coincided with an ever increasing sophistication of genetically based manipulations. These techniques have produced results with a remarkable degree of cell specificity, particularly at the cell signaling level, and have played a lead role in advancing the field. However, putting these findings into a brain-wide context that connects physiological signals and neurons to behavior and somatic physiology requires a thorough consideration of neuronal connections: a field that has also seen an extraordinary technological revolution. Our goal is to present a comprehensive and balanced assessment of how physiological signals associated with energy homeostasis interact at many brain levels to control eating behaviors. A major theme is that these signals engage sets of interacting neural networks throughout the brain that are defined by specific neural connections. We begin by discussing some fundamental concepts, including ones that still engender vigorous debate, that provide the necessary frameworks for understanding how the brain controls meal initiation and termination. These include key word definitions, ATP availability as the pivotal regulated variable in energy homeostasis, neuropeptide signaling, homeostatic and hedonic eating, and meal structure. Within this context, we discuss network models of how key regions in the endbrain (or telencephalon), hypothalamus, hindbrain, medulla, vagus nerve, and spinal cord work together with the gastrointestinal tract to enable the complex motor events that permit animals to eat in diverse situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan G Watts
- The Department of Biological Sciences, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Scott E Kanoski
- The Department of Biological Sciences, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Graciela Sanchez-Watts
- The Department of Biological Sciences, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Wolfgang Langhans
- Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule-Zürich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
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9
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Secretagogin marks amygdaloid PKCδ interneurons and modulates NMDA receptor availability. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:1921123118. [PMID: 33558223 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1921123118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The perception of and response to danger is critical for an individual's survival and is encoded by subcortical neurocircuits. The amygdaloid complex is the primary neuronal site that initiates bodily reactions upon external threat with local-circuit interneurons scaling output to effector pathways. Here, we categorize central amygdala neurons that express secretagogin (Scgn), a Ca2+-sensor protein, as a subset of protein kinase Cδ (PKCδ)+ interneurons, likely "off cells." Chemogenetic inactivation of Scgn+/PKCδ+ cells augmented conditioned response to perceived danger in vivo. While Ca2+-sensor proteins are typically implicated in shaping neurotransmitter release presynaptically, Scgn instead localized to postsynaptic compartments. Characterizing its role in the postsynapse, we found that Scgn regulates the cell-surface availability of NMDA receptor 2B subunits (GluN2B) with its genetic deletion leading to reduced cell membrane delivery of GluN2B, at least in vitro. Conclusively, we describe a select cell population, which gates danger avoidance behavior with secretagogin being both a selective marker and regulatory protein in their excitatory postsynaptic machinery.
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10
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Neuronal basis for pain- and anxiety-like behaviors in the central nucleus of the amygdala. Pain 2021; 163:e463-e475. [PMID: 34174041 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Chronic pain is often accompanied by anxiety and depression disorders. Amygdala nuclei play important roles in emotional responses, fear, depression, anxiety and pain modulation. The exact mechanism of how amygdala neurons are involved in pain and anxiety is not completely understood. The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) contains two major subpopulations of GABAergic neurons that express somatostatin (SOM+) or protein kinase Cδ (PKCδ+). In this study, we found about 70% of pERK-positive neurons colocalized with PKCδ+ neurons in the formalin-induced pain model in mice. Optogenetic activation of PKCδ+ neurons was sufficient to induce mechanical hyperalgesia without changing anxiety-like behavior in naïve mice. Conversely, chemogenetic inhibition of PKCδ+ neurons significantly reduced the mechanical hyperalgesia in the pain model. In contrast, optogenetic inhibition of SOM+ neurons induced mechanical hyperalgesia in naïve mice and increased pERK-positive neurons mainly in PKCδ+ neurons. Optogenetic activation of SOM+ neurons slightly reduced the mechanical hyperalgesia in the pain model but did not change the mechanical sensitivity in naïve mice. Instead, it induced anxiety-like behavior. Our results suggest that the PKCδ+ and SOM+ neurons in CeA exert different functions in regulating pain- and anxiety-like behaviors in mice.
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11
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Kenwood MM, Kalin NH. Nonhuman Primate Models to Explore Mechanisms Underlying Early-Life Temperamental Anxiety. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:659-671. [PMID: 33229035 PMCID: PMC7952470 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.08.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent psychiatric disorders, causing significant suffering and disability. Behavioral inhibition is a temperament that is linked to an increased risk for the later development of anxiety disorders and other stress-related psychopathology, and understanding the neural systems underlying this dispositional risk could provide insight into novel treatment targets for anxiety disorders. Nonhuman primates (NHPs) have anxiety-related temperaments that are similar to those of humans with behavioral inhibition, facilitating the design of translational models related to human psychopathology. Characterization of our NHP model of behavioral inhibition, which we term anxious temperament (AT), reveals that it is trait-like. Exploration of the neural substrates of AT in NHPs has revealed a distributed neural circuit that is linked to individual differences in AT, which includes the dorsal amygdala. AT-related metabolism in the dorsal amygdala, including the central nucleus, is stable across time and can be detected even in safe contexts, suggesting that AT has trait-like neural signatures within the brain. The use of lesioning and novel chemogenetic methods allows for mechanistic perturbation of the amygdala to determine its causal contribution to AT. Studies characterizing the molecular bases for individual differences in AT in the dorsal amygdala, which take advantage of novel methods for probing cellular and molecular systems, suggest involvement of neurotrophic systems, which point to the importance of neuroplasticity in AT. These novel methods, when used in combination with translational NHP models such as AT, promise to provide insights into the brain systems underlying the early risk for anxiety disorder development.
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12
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Gasparini S, Resch JM, Gore AM, Peltekian L, Geerling JC. Pre-locus coeruleus neurons in rat and mouse. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2021; 320:R342-R361. [PMID: 33296280 PMCID: PMC7988775 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00261.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Previously, we identified a population of neurons in the hindbrain tegmentum, bordering the locus coeruleus (LC). We named this population the pre-locus coeruleus (pre-LC) because in rats its neurons lie immediately rostral to the LC. In mice, however, pre-LC and LC neurons intermingle, making them difficult to distinguish. Here, we use molecular markers and anterograde tracing to clarify the location and distribution of pre-LC neurons in mice, relative to rats. First, we colocalized the transcription factor FoxP2 with the activity marker Fos to identify pre-LC neurons in sodium-deprived rats and show their distribution relative to surrounding catecholaminergic and cholinergic neurons. Next, we used sodium depletion and chemogenetic activation of the aldosterone-sensitive HSD2 neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) to identify the homologous population of pre-LC neurons in mice, along with a related population in the central lateral parabrachial nucleus. Using Cre-reporter mice for Pdyn, we confirmed that most of these sodium-depletion-activated neurons are dynorphinergic. Finally, after confirming that these neurons receive excitatory input from the NTS and paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, plus convergent input from the inhibitory AgRP neurons in the arcuate hypothalamic nucleus, we identify a major, direct input projection from the medial prefrontal cortex. This new information on the location, distribution, and input to pre-LC neurons provides a neuroanatomical foundation for cell-type-specific investigation of their properties and functions in mice. Pre-LC neurons likely integrate homeostatic information from the brainstem and hypothalamus with limbic, contextual information from the cerebral cortex to influence ingestive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Gasparini
- Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Jon M Resch
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Anuradha M Gore
- Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Lila Peltekian
- Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Joel C Geerling
- Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
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13
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Kirouac GJ. The Paraventricular Nucleus of the Thalamus as an Integrating and Relay Node in the Brain Anxiety Network. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:627633. [PMID: 33732118 PMCID: PMC7959748 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.627633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain anxiety network is composed of a number of interconnected cortical regions that detect threats and execute appropriate defensive responses via projections to the shell of the nucleus accumbens (NAcSh), dorsolateral region of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTDL) and lateral region of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeL). The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) is anatomically positioned to integrate threat- and arousal-related signals from cortex and hypothalamus and then relay these signals to neural circuits in the NAcSh, BSTDL, and CeL that mediate defensive responses. This review describes the anatomical connections of the PVT that support the view that the PVT may be a critical node in the brain anxiety network. Experimental findings are reviewed showing that the arousal peptides orexins (hypocretins) act at the PVT to promote avoidance of potential threats especially following exposure of rats to a single episode of footshocks. Recent anatomical and experimental findings are discussed which show that neurons in the PVT provide divergent projections to subcortical regions that mediate defensive behaviors and that the projection to the NAcSh is critical for the enhanced social avoidance displayed in rats exposed to footshocks. A theoretical model is proposed for how the PVT integrates cortical and hypothalamic signals to modulate the behavioral responses associated with anxiety and other challenging situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilbert J. Kirouac
- Department of Oral Biology, Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
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14
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Kovner R, Souaiaia T, Fox AS, French DA, Goss CE, Roseboom PH, Oler JA, Riedel MK, Fekete EM, Fudge JL, Knowles JA, Kalin NH. Transcriptional Profiling of Primate Central Nucleus of the Amygdala Neurons to Understand the Molecular Underpinnings of Early-Life Anxious Temperament. Biol Psychiatry 2020; 88:638-648. [PMID: 32709417 PMCID: PMC7530008 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children exhibiting extreme anxious temperament (AT) are at an increased risk for developing anxiety and depression. Our previous mechanistic and neuroimaging work in young rhesus monkeys linked the central nucleus of the amygdala to AT and its underlying neural circuit. METHODS Here, we used laser capture microscopy and RNA sequencing in 47 young rhesus monkeys to investigate AT's molecular underpinnings by focusing on neurons from the lateral division of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeL). RNA sequencing identified numerous AT-related CeL transcripts, and we used immunofluorescence (n = 3) and tract-tracing (n = 2) methods in a different sample of monkeys to examine the expression, distribution, and projection pattern of neurons expressing one of these transcripts. RESULTS We found 555 AT-related transcripts, 14 of which were confirmed with high statistical confidence (false discovery rate < .10), including protein kinase C delta (PKCδ), a CeL microcircuit cell marker implicated in rodent threat processing. We characterized PKCδ neurons in the rhesus CeL, compared its distribution with that of the mouse, and demonstrated that a subset of these neurons project to the laterodorsal bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. CONCLUSIONS These findings demonstrate that CeL PKCδ is associated with primate anxiety, provides evidence of a CeL to laterodorsal bed nucleus of the stria terminalis circuit that may be relevant to understanding human anxiety, and points to specific molecules within this circuit that could serve as potential treatment targets for anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rothem Kovner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin; Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin; HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.
| | - Tade Souaiaia
- Department of Cell Biology, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York
| | - Andrew S Fox
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California; California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Delores A French
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin; HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Cooper E Goss
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Patrick H Roseboom
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin; Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin; HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Jonathan A Oler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin; HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Marissa K Riedel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin; HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Eva M Fekete
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin; HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Julie L Fudge
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York; Department of Neuroscience/Del Monte Institute for Brain Research, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York
| | - James A Knowles
- Department of Cell Biology, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York
| | - Ned H Kalin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin; Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin; HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.
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15
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A basal ganglia-like cortical-amygdalar-hypothalamic network mediates feeding behavior. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:15967-15976. [PMID: 32571909 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2004914117] [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: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The insular cortex (INS) is extensively connected to the central nucleus of the amygdala (CEA), and both regions send convergent projections into the caudal lateral hypothalamus (LHA) encompassing the parasubthalamic nucleus (PSTN). However, the organization of the network between these structures has not been clearly delineated in the literature, although there has been an upsurge in functional studies related to these structures, especially with regard to the cognitive and psychopathological control of feeding. We conducted tract-tracing experiments from the INS and observed a pathway to the PSTN region that runs parallel to the canonical hyperdirect pathway from the isocortex to the subthalamic nucleus (STN) adjacent to the PSTN. In addition, an indirect pathway with a relay in the central amygdala was also observed that is similar in its structure to the classic indirect pathway of the basal ganglia that also targets the STN. C-Fos experiments showed that the PSTN complex reacts to neophobia and sickness induced by lipopolysaccharide or cisplatin. Chemogenetic (designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs [DREADD]) inhibition of tachykininergic neurons (Tac1) in the PSTN revealed that this nucleus gates a stop "no-eat" signal to refrain from feeding when the animal is subjected to sickness or exposed to a previously unknown source of food. Therefore, our anatomical findings in rats and mice indicate that the INS-PSTN network is organized in a similar manner as the hyperdirect and indirect basal ganglia circuitry. Functionally, the PSTN is involved in gating feeding behavior, which is conceptually homologous to the motor no-go response of the adjacent STN.
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16
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Beyeler A, Dabrowska J. Neuronal diversity of the amygdala and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. HANDBOOK OF BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 26:63-100. [PMID: 32792868 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-815134-1.00003-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Beyeler
- Neurocentre Magendie, French National Institutes of Health (INSERM) unit 1215, Neurocampus of Bordeaux University, Bordeaux, France
| | - Joanna Dabrowska
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, The Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
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17
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Ueda S, Yamaguchi T, Ehara A. Neonatal shaking brain injury changes psychological stress-induced neuronal activity in adult male rats. Neurosci Lett 2020; 718:134744. [PMID: 31923523 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.134744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Revised: 12/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Neonatal shaking brain injury (SBI) leads to increases in anxiety-like behavior and altered hormonal responses to psychological stressors as adults. These abnormalities are hypothesized to be due to a change in sensitization in neuronal circuits as a consequence of neonatal SBI. We examined the effects of neonatal SBI on neuronal activity in the anxiety- and/or stress-related areas of adult rats using Fos immunohistochemistry. Exposure to a novel elevated plus maze (EPM) resulted in a marked increase in Fos expression in the parvocellular (PVNp) and magnocellular parts of the paraventricular nucleus and the ventral part of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (vBNST) of shaken rats (S group) compared to non-shaken control rats (C group). On the contrary, Fos expression was significantly lower in the medial nucleus of the amygdala and the ventral subiculum (vS) of S group rats than C group rats exposed to EPM. Although we found no significant correlation in the number of Fos-expressing cells in the vBNST and PVNp in the C group rats, these numbers were significantly correlated in the S group rats. Furthermore, in the S group rats, but not in the C group rats, the number of Fos-expressing cells in the vBNST was inversely correlated with that in the vS. Interestingly, previous neuronal tracing studies have demonstrated direct projections from the vS to the vBNST and from the vBNST to the PVNp. The present data suggest that neonatal SBI can alter neuronal activity in anxiety- and/or stress-related neuronal circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuichi Ueda
- Department of Histology and Neurobiology, Dokkyo Medical University School of Medicine, Mibu, Tochigi, Japan.
| | - Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi
- Department of Histology and Neurobiology, Dokkyo Medical University School of Medicine, Mibu, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Ayuka Ehara
- Department of Histology and Neurobiology, Dokkyo Medical University School of Medicine, Mibu, Tochigi, Japan
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18
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Kovner R, Oler JA, Kalin NH. Cortico-Limbic Interactions Mediate Adaptive and Maladaptive Responses Relevant to Psychopathology. Am J Psychiatry 2019; 176:987-999. [PMID: 31787014 PMCID: PMC7014786 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2019.19101064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Cortico-limbic circuits provide a substrate for adaptive behavioral and emotional responses. However, dysfunction of these circuits can result in maladaptive responses that are associated with psychopathology. The prefrontal-limbic pathways are of particular interest because they facilitate interactions among emotion, cognition, and decision-making functions, all of which are affected in psychiatric disorders. Regulatory aspects of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are especially relevant to human psychopathology, as the PFC, in addition to its functions, is more recent from an evolutionary perspective and is considerably more complex in human and nonhuman primates compared with other species. This review provides a neuroanatomical and functional perspective of selected regions of the limbic system, the medial temporal lobe structures-the hippocampus and amygdala as well as regions of the PFC. Beyond the specific brain regions, emphasis is placed on the structure and function of critical PFC-limbic circuits, linking alterations in the processing of information across these pathways to the pathophysiology and psychopathology of various psychiatric illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rothem Kovner
- Department of Neuroscience and Kavli Institute of Neuroscience,
Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn
| | - Jonathan A. Oler
- Department of Psychiatry and HealthEmotions Research Institute,
University of Wisconsin, Madison
| | - Ned H. Kalin
- Department of Psychiatry and HealthEmotions Research Institute,
University of Wisconsin, Madison
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19
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Siddiqui SA, Singh S, Ugale R, Ranjan V, Kanojia R, Saha S, Tripathy S, Kumar S, Mehrotra S, Modi DR, Prakash A. Regulation of HDAC1 and HDAC2 during consolidation and extinction of fear memory. Brain Res Bull 2019; 150:86-101. [PMID: 31108155 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2019.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Revised: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Histone deacetylases (HDACs) regulate gene expression epigenetically through synchronized removal of acetyl groups from histones required towards memory consolidation. Moreover, dysregulated epigenetic machinery during fear or extinction learning may result in altered expression of some of these genes and result in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In the present study, region-specific expression of Histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) and Histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) was correlated to the acetylation of histones H3 and H4 and the resultant conditioned response, in rats undergone fear and extinction learning. The neuronal activation, histone acetylation at H3/H4 and expression of HDAC1/HDAC2 in centrolateral amygdala (CeL) and centromedial amygdala (CeM) of central Amygdala (CeA) and prelimbic (PL) and infralimbic (IL) of Prefrontal cortex (PFC) were found to be associated in a differential manner following fear and extinction learning. Moreover in CeM, the main output of the fear circuitry, the level of HDAC1 was down-regulated following conditioning and up-regulated following extinction as opposed to which HDAC2 was down-regulated in CeM following conditioning but not following extinction. Furthermore, in CeL the HDAC1 was upregulated and HDAC2 was downregulated following conditioning and extinction. This has important implications in speculating of the role of HDACs in fear memory consolidation and its extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sanjay Singh
- Department of Biotechnology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, India
| | - Rajesh Ugale
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, RTM Nagpur University, Nagpur, India
| | - Vandana Ranjan
- Department of Biochemistry, RML University, Faizabad, India
| | - Rohit Kanojia
- Department of Biotechnology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, India
| | - Sudipta Saha
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, India
| | - Sukanya Tripathy
- Department of Biotechnology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, India
| | - Shiv Kumar
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, India
| | - Sudhir Mehrotra
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, India
| | - Dinesh Raj Modi
- Department of Biotechnology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, India
| | - Anand Prakash
- Department of Biotechnology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, India; Department of Biotech, Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari, Bihar, India.
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20
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Agostinelli LJ, Geerling JC, Scammell TE. Basal forebrain subcortical projections. Brain Struct Funct 2019; 224:1097-1117. [PMID: 30612231 PMCID: PMC6500474 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-01820-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The basal forebrain (BF) contains at least three distinct populations of neurons (cholinergic, glutamatergic, and GABA-ergic) across its different regions (medial septum, diagonal band, magnocellular preoptic area, and substantia innominata). Much attention has focused on the BF's ascending projections to cortex, but less is known about descending projections to subcortical regions. Given the neurochemical and anatomical heterogeneity of the BF, we used conditional anterograde tracing to map the patterns of subcortical projections from multiple BF regions and neurochemical cell types using mice that express Cre recombinase only in cholinergic, glutamatergic, or GABAergic neurons. We confirmed that different BF regions innervate distinct subcortical targets, with more subcortical projections arising from neurons in the caudal and lateral BF (substantia innominata and magnocellular preoptic area). Additionally, glutamatergic and GABAergic BF neurons have distinct patterns of descending projections, while cholinergic descending projections are sparse. Considering the intensity of glutamatergic and GABAergic descending projections, the BF likely acts through subcortical targets to promote arousal, motivation, and other behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay J Agostinelli
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Neurology, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Joel C Geerling
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Neurology, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Thomas E Scammell
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
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21
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Cell-type specific parallel circuits in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and the central nucleus of the amygdala of the mouse. Brain Struct Funct 2019; 224:1067-1095. [PMID: 30610368 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-01825-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The central extended amygdala (EAc) is a forebrain macrosystem which has been widely implicated in reward, fear, anxiety, and pain. Its two key structures, the lateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTL) and the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), share similar mesoscale connectivity. However, it is not known whether they also share similar cell-specific neuronal circuits. We addressed this question using tract-tracing and immunofluorescence to reveal the EAc microcircuits involving two neuronal populations expressing either protein kinase C delta (PKCδ) or somatostatin (SOM). PKCδ and SOM are expressed predominantly in the dorsal BSTL (BSTLD) and in the lateral/capsular parts of CeA (CeL/C). We found that, in both BSTLD and CeL/C, PKCδ+ cells are the main recipient of extra-EAc inputs from the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPB), while SOM+ cells constitute the main source of long-range projections to extra-EAc targets, including LPB and periaqueductal gray. PKCδ+ cells can also integrate inputs from the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala or insular cortex. Within EAc, PKCδ+, but not SOM+ neurons, serve as the major source of inputs to the ventral BSTL and to the medial part of CeA. However, both cell types can be involved in mutual connections between BSTLD and CeL/C. These results unveil the pivotal positions of PKCδ+ and SOM+ neurons in organizing parallel cell-specific neuronal circuits within CeA and BSTL, but also between them, which further reinforce the notion of EAc as a structural and functional macrosystem.
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22
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Ch'ng S, Fu J, Brown RM, McDougall SJ, Lawrence AJ. The intersection of stress and reward: BNST modulation of aversive and appetitive states. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 87:108-125. [PMID: 29330137 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Revised: 12/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is widely acknowledged as a brain structure that regulates stress and anxiety states, as well as aversive and appetitive behaviours. The diverse roles of the BNST are afforded by its highly modular organisation, neurochemical heterogeneity, and complex intrinsic and extrinsic circuitry. There has been growing interest in the BNST in relation to psychopathologies such as anxiety and addiction. Although research on the human BNST is still in its infancy, there have been extensive preclinical studies examining the molecular signature and hodology of the BNST and their involvement in stress and reward seeking behaviour. This review examines the neurochemical phenotype and connectivity of the BNST, as well as electrophysiological correlates of plasticity in the BNST mediated by stress and/or drugs of abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Ch'ng
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Jingjing Fu
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Robyn M Brown
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Stuart J McDougall
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Andrew J Lawrence
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.
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23
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Barbier M, Fellmann D, Risold PY. Characterization of McDonald's intermediate part of the Central nucleus of the amygdala in the rat. J Comp Neurol 2018; 526:2165-2186. [PMID: 29893014 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The actual organization of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CEA) in the rat is mostly based on cytoarchitecture and the distribution of several cell types, as described by McDonald in 1982. Four divisions were identified by this author. However, since this original work, one of these divisions, the intermediate part, has not been consistently recognized based on Nissl-stained material. In the present study, we observed that a compact condensation of retrogradely labeled cells is found in the CEA after fluorogold injection in the anterior region of the tuberal lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) in the rat. We then searched for neurochemical markers of this cell condensation and found that it is quite specifically labeled for calbindin (Cb), but also contains calretinin (Cr), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and methionine-enkephalin (Met-Enk) immunohistochemical signals. These neurochemical features are specific to this cell group which, therefore, is distinct from the other parts of the CEA. We then performed cholera toxin injections in the mouse LHA to identify this cell group in this species. We found that neurons exist in the medial and rostral CEAl that project into the LHA but they have a less tight organization than in the rat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Barbier
- EA481, UFR Sciences Médicales et Pharmaceutiques, 19 rue Ambroise Paré, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon cedex, 25030, France
| | - Dominique Fellmann
- EA481, UFR Sciences Médicales et Pharmaceutiques, 19 rue Ambroise Paré, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon cedex, 25030, France
| | - Pierre-Yves Risold
- EA481, UFR Sciences Médicales et Pharmaceutiques, 19 rue Ambroise Paré, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon cedex, 25030, France
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24
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Normandeau CP, Torruella Suárez ML, Sarret P, McElligott ZA, Dumont EC. Neurotensin and dynorphin Bi-Directionally modulate CeA inhibition of oval BNST neurons in male mice. Neuropharmacology 2018; 143:113-121. [PMID: 30248304 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.09.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Revised: 09/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Neuropeptides are often co-expressed in neurons, and may therefore be working together to coordinate proper neural circuit function. However, neurophysiological effects of neuropeptides are commonly studied individually possibly underestimating their modulatory roles. Here, we triggered the release of endogenous neuropeptides in brain slices from male mice to better understand their modulation of central amygdala (CeA) inhibitory inputs onto oval (ov) BNST neurons. We found that locally-released neurotensin (NT) and dynorphin (Dyn) antagonistically regulated CeA inhibitory inputs onto ovBNST neurons. NT and Dyn respectively increased and decreased CeA-toovBNST inhibitory inputs through NT receptor 1 (NTR1) and kappa opioid receptor (KOR). Additionally, NT and Dyn mRNAs were highly co-localized in ovBNST neurons suggesting that they may be released from the same cells. Together, we showed that NT and Dyn are key modulators of CeA inputs to ovBNST, paving the way to determine whether different conditions or states can alter the neuropeptidergic regulation of this particular brain circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- C P Normandeau
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - M L Torruella Suárez
- Program in Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
| | - P Sarret
- Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Z A McElligott
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies and Departments of Psychiatry and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
| | - E C Dumont
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
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25
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Gregoriou GC, Kissiwaa SA, Patel SD, Bagley EE. Dopamine and opioids inhibit synaptic outputs of the main island of the intercalated neurons of the amygdala. Eur J Neurosci 2018; 50:2065-2074. [PMID: 30099803 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Revised: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Neural circuits in the amygdala are important for associating the positive experience of drug taking with the coincident environmental cues. During abstinence, cue re-exposure activates the amygdala, increases dopamine release in the amygdala and stimulates relapse to drug use in an opioid dependent manner. Neural circuits in the amygdala and the learning that underlies these behaviours are inhibited by GABAergic synaptic inhibition. A specialised subtype of GABAergic neurons in the amygdala are the clusters of intercalated cells. We focussed on the main-island of intercalated cells because these neurons, located ventromedial to the basolateral amygdala, express very high levels of dopamine D1-receptor and μ-opioid receptor, release enkephalin and are densely innervated by the ventral tegmental area. However, where these neurons project to was not fully described and their regulation by opioids and dopamine was incomplete. To address this issue we electrically stimulated in the main-island of the intercalated cells in rat brain slices and made patch-clamp recordings of GABAergic synaptics from amygdala neurons. We found that main-island neurons had a strong GABAergic inhibitory output to pyramidal neurons of the basolateral nucleus and the medial central nucleus, the major output zones of the amygdala. Opioids inhibited both these synaptic outputs of the intercalated neurons and thus would disinhibit these target zones. Additionally, dopamine acting at D1-receptors inhibited main-island neuron synapses onto other main-island neurons. This data indicates that the inhibitory projections from the main-island neurons could influence multiple aspects of addiction and emotional processing in an opioid and dopamine dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle C Gregoriou
- Discipline of Pharmacology & Charles Perkins Centre, Charles Perkins Centre D17, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Sarah A Kissiwaa
- Discipline of Pharmacology & Charles Perkins Centre, Charles Perkins Centre D17, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Sahil D Patel
- Discipline of Pharmacology & Charles Perkins Centre, Charles Perkins Centre D17, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Elena E Bagley
- Discipline of Pharmacology & Charles Perkins Centre, Charles Perkins Centre D17, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia
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26
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Fang Q, Li Z, Huang GD, Zhang HH, Chen YY, Zhang LB, Ding ZB, Shi J, Lu L, Yang JL. Traumatic Stress Produces Distinct Activations of GABAergic and Glutamatergic Neurons in Amygdala. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:387. [PMID: 30186100 PMCID: PMC6110940 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive recollections of a severe traumatic event and hyperarousal following exposure to the event. Human and animal studies have shown that the change of amygdala activity after traumatic stress may contribute to occurrences of some symptoms or behaviors of the patients or animals with PTSD. However, it is still unknown how the neuronal activation of different sub-regions in amygdala changes during the development of PTSD. In the present study, we used single prolonged stress (SPS) procedure to obtain the animal model of PTSD, and found that 1 day after SPS, there were normal anxiety behavior and extinction of fear memory in rats which were accompanied by a reduced proportion of activated glutamatergic neurons and increased proportion of activated GABAergic neurons in basolateral amygdala (BLA). About 10 days after SPS, we observed enhanced anxiety and impaired extinction of fear memory with increased activated both glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons in BLA and increased activated GABAergic neurons in central amygdala (CeA). These results indicate that during early and late phase after traumatic stress, distinct patterns of activation of glutamatergic neurons and GABAergic neurons are displayed in amygdala, which may be implicated in the development of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Fang
- Department of Psychiatry, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.,National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Psychiatric Department, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhe Li
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Cangzhou Medical College, Cangzhou, China
| | - Geng-Di Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.,National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Huan-Huan Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.,National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Ya-Yun Chen
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Li-Bo Zhang
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Zeng-Bo Ding
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Shi
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Lu
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Peking University Sixth Hospital/Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jian-Li Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
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27
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Broccoli L, Uhrig S, von Jonquieres G, Schönig K, Bartsch D, Justice NJ, Spanagel R, Sommer W, Klugmann M, Hansson A. Targeted overexpression of CRH receptor subtype 1 in central amygdala neurons: effect on alcohol-seeking behavior. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:1821-1833. [PMID: 29700576 PMCID: PMC7454014 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4908-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) system is a key mediator of stress-induced responses in alcohol-seeking behavior. Recent research has identified the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), a brain region involved in the regulation of fear and stress-induced responses that is especially rich in CRH-positive neurons, as a key player in mediating excessive alcohol seeking. However, detailed characterization of the specific influences that local neuronal populations exert in mediating alcohol responses is hampered by current limitations in pharmacological and immunohistochemical tools for targeting CRH receptor subtype 1 (CRHR1). OBJECTIVE In this study, we investigated the effect of cell- and region-specific overexpression of CRHR1 in the CeA using a novel transgenic tool. METHODS Co-expression of CRHR1 in calcium-calmodulin-dependent kinase II (αCaMKII) neurons of the amygdala was demonstrated by double immunohistochemistry using a Crhr1-GFP reporter mouse line. A Cre-inducible Crhr1-expressing adeno-associated virus (AAV) was site-specifically injected into the CeA of αCaMKII-CreERT2 transgenic rats to analyze the role of CRHR1 in αCaMKII neurons on alcohol self-administration and reinstatement behavior. RESULTS Forty-eight percent of CRHR1-containing cells showed co-expression of αCaMKII in the CeA. AAV-mediated gene transfer in αCaMKII neurons induced a 24-fold increase of Crhr1 mRNA in the CeA which had no effect on locomotor activity, alcohol self-administration, or cue-induced reinstatement. However, rats overexpressing Crhr1 in the CeA increased responding in the stress-induced reinstatement task with yohimbine serving as a pharmacological stressor. CONCLUSION We demonstrate that CRHR1 overexpression in CeA-αCaMKII neurons is sufficient to mediate increased vulnerability to stress-triggered relapse into alcohol seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. Broccoli
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - S. Uhrig
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - G. von Jonquieres
- Translational Neuroscience Facility and Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Australia Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - K. Schönig
- Dept. of Molecular Biology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Square J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - D. Bartsch
- Dept. of Molecular Biology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Square J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - N. J. Justice
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - R. Spanagel
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - W.H. Sommer
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany,Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - M. Klugmann
- Translational Neuroscience Facility and Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Australia Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - A.C. Hansson
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany,To whom correspondence should be addressed: Anita C. Hansson, PhD, Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute for Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Square J5, D-68159 Mannheim, Germany, Phone: +49 621 1703 6293, Fax: +49 621 1703 6255,
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28
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Yamanaka K, Takagishi M, Kim J, Gouraud SS, Waki H. Bidirectional cardiovascular responses evoked by microstimulation of the amygdala in rats. J Physiol Sci 2018; 68:233-242. [PMID: 28111704 PMCID: PMC10717243 DOI: 10.1007/s12576-017-0523-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Although the amygdala is known as a negative emotion center for coordinating defensive behaviors, its functions in autonomic control remain unclear. To resolve this issue, we examined effects on cardiovascular responses induced by stimulation and lesions of the amygdala in anesthetized and free-moving rats. Electrical microstimulation of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) induced a gradual increase in arterial pressure (AP) and heart rate (HR), whereas stimulation of adjacent nuclei evoked a phasic AP decrease. The gain of the baroreceptor reflex was not altered by CeA stimulation, suggesting that CeA activity increases both AP and HR by resetting baroreceptor reflex function. Disinhibition of GABAergic input by amygdalar microinjection of the GABAA receptor antagonist induced robust increases in AP and HR. Furthermore, bilateral electrolytic lesions of CeA evoked consistent AP increases over the light/dark cycle. These results suggest that the amygdala exerts 'bidirectional' autonomic control over the cardiovascular system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ko Yamanaka
- Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Health and Sports Science, Juntendo University, 1-1 Hiraka-Gakuendai, Inzai, Chiba, 270-1695, Japan
| | - Miwa Takagishi
- Department of Therapeutic Health Promotion, Kansai University of Health Sciences, 2-11-1 Wakaba, Kumatori, Sennan, Osaka, 590-0482, Japan
| | - Jimmy Kim
- Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Health and Sports Science, Juntendo University, 1-1 Hiraka-Gakuendai, Inzai, Chiba, 270-1695, Japan
| | - Sabine S Gouraud
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ochanomizu University, 2-1-1 Otsuka, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 112-8610, Japan
| | - Hidefumi Waki
- Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Health and Sports Science, Juntendo University, 1-1 Hiraka-Gakuendai, Inzai, Chiba, 270-1695, Japan.
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29
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Zhang CK, Li ZH, Qiao Y, Zhang T, Lu YC, Chen T, Dong YL, Li YQ, Li JL. VGLUT1 or VGLUT2 mRNA-positive neurons in spinal trigeminal nucleus provide collateral projections to both the thalamus and the parabrachial nucleus in rats. Mol Brain 2018; 11:22. [PMID: 29650024 PMCID: PMC5897998 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-018-0362-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The trigemino-thalamic (T-T) and trigemino-parabrachial (T-P) pathways are strongly implicated in the sensory-discriminative and affective/emotional aspects of orofacial pain, respectively. These T-T and T-P projection fibers originate from the spinal trigeminal nucleus (Vsp). We previously determined that many vesicular glutamate transporter (VGLUT1 and/or VGLUT2) mRNA-positive neurons were distributed in the Vsp of the adult rat, and most of these neurons sent their axons to the thalamus or cerebellum. However, whether VGLUT1 or VGLUT2 mRNA-positive projection neurons exist that send their axons to both the thalamus and the parabrachial nucleus (PBN) has not been reported. Thus, in the present study, dual retrograde tract tracing was used in combination with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for VGLUT1 or VGLUT2 mRNA to identify the existence of VGLUT1 or VGLUT2 mRNA neurons that send collateral projections to both the thalamus and the PBN. Neurons in the Vsp that send collateral projections to both the thalamus and the PBN were mainly VGLUT2 mRNA-positive, with a proportion of 90.3%, 93.0% and 85.4% in the oral (Vo), interpolar (Vi) and caudal (Vc) subnucleus of the Vsp, respectively. Moreover, approximately 34.0% of the collateral projection neurons in the Vc showed Fos immunopositivity after injection of formalin into the lip, and parts of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-immunopositive axonal varicosities were in direct contact with the Vc collateral projection neurons. These results indicate that most collateral projection neurons in the Vsp, particularly in the Vc, which express mainly VGLUT2, may relay orofacial nociceptive information directly to the thalamus and PBN via axon collaterals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Kui Zhang
- Department of Anatomy and K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Hong Li
- Department of Anatomy and K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Qiao
- Department of Anatomy and K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.,Student Brigade, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Ting Zhang
- Department of Anatomy and K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Ya-Cheng Lu
- Department of Anatomy and K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao Chen
- Department of Anatomy and K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu-Lin Dong
- Department of Anatomy and K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Yun-Qing Li
- Department of Anatomy and K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jin-Lian Li
- Department of Anatomy and K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.
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30
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Optogenetic silencing of a corticotropin-releasing factor pathway from the central amygdala to the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis disrupts sustained fear. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:914-922. [PMID: 28439099 PMCID: PMC5656568 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.79] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2016] [Revised: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The lateral central nucleus of the amygdala (CeAL) and the dorsolateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTDL) coordinate the expression of shorter- and longer-lasting fears, respectively. Less is known about how these structures communicate with each other during fear acquisition. One pathway, from the CeAL to the BNSTDL, is thought to communicate via corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), but studies have yet to examine its function in fear learning and memory. Thus, we developed an adeno-associated viral-based strategy to selectively target CRF neurons with the optogenetic silencer archaerhodopsin tp009 (CRF-ArchT) to examine the role of CeAL CRF neurons and projections to the BNSTDL during the acquisition of contextual fear. Expression of our CRF-ArchT vector injected into the amygdala was restricted to CeAL CRF neurons. Furthermore, CRF axonal projections from the CeAL clustered around BNSTDL CRF cells. Optogenetic silencing of CeAL CRF neurons during contextual fear acquisition disrupted retention test freezing 24 h later, but only at later time points (>6 min) during testing. Silencing CeAL CRF projections in the BNSTDL during contextual fear acquisition produced a similar effect. Baseline contextual freezing, the rate of fear acquisition, freezing in an alternate context after conditioning and responsivity to foot shock were unaffected by optogenetic silencing. Our results highlight how CeAL CRF neurons and projections to the BNSTDL consolidate longer-lasting components of a fear memory. Our findings have implications for understanding how discrete amygdalar CRF pathways modulate longer-lasting fear in anxiety- and trauma-related disorders.
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31
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Quantified Coexpression Analysis of Central Amygdala Subpopulations. eNeuro 2018; 5:eN-NWR-0010-18. [PMID: 29445764 PMCID: PMC5810038 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0010-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2018] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular identification and characterization of fear controlling circuitries is a promising path towards developing targeted treatments of fear-related disorders. Three-color in situ hybridization analysis was used to determine whether somatostatin (SOM, Sst), neurotensin (NTS, Nts), corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF, Crf), tachykinin 2 (TAC2, Tac2), protein kinase c-δ (PKC-δ, Prkcd), and dopamine receptor 2 (DRD2, Drd2) mRNA colocalize in male mouse amygdala neurons. Expression and colocalization was examined across capsular (CeC), lateral (CeL), and medial (CeM) compartments of the central amygdala. The greatest expression of Prkcd and Drd2 were found in CeC and CeL. Crf was expressed primarily in CeL, while Sst-, Nts-, and Tac2-expressing neurons were distributed between CeL and CeM. High levels of colocalization were identified between Sst, Nts, Crf, and Tac2 within the CeL, while little colocalization was detected between any mRNAs within the CeM. These findings provide a more detailed understanding of the molecular mechanisms that regulate the development and maintenance of fear and anxiety behaviors.
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32
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Parasubthalamic and calbindin nuclei in the posterior lateral hypothalamus are the major hypothalamic targets for projections from the central and anterior basomedial nuclei of the amygdala. Brain Struct Funct 2017; 222:2961-2991. [PMID: 28258483 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1379-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The parasubthalamic nucleus (PSTN) and the ventrally adjacent calbindin nucleus (CbN) form a nuclear complex in the posterior lateral hypothalamic area (LHA), recently characterized as connected with the central nucleus of the amygdala (CEA). The aim of the present work is to analyze in detail the projections from the amygdala into the PSTN/CbN, also focusing on pathways into the LHA. After fluorogold injections into the PSTN/CbN, the medial part of the CEA (CEAm) appears to be the main supplier of projections from the CEA. Other amygdalar nuclei contribute to the innervation of the PSTN/CbN complex, including the anterior part of the basomedial nucleus (BMAa). Injections of the anterograde tracer, Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHAL), into the CEAm and BMAa revealed that projections from the CEAm follow two pathways into the LHA: a dorsal pathway formed by axons that also innervate the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, the anterior perifornical LHA and the PSTN, and a ventral pathway that runs laterally adjacent to the ventrolateral hypothalamic tract (vlt) and ends in the CbN. By contrast, the BMAa and other telencephalic structures, such as the fundus striatum project to the CbN via the ventral pathway. Confirming the microscopic observation, a semi-quantitative analysis of the density of these projections showed that the PSTN and the CbN are the major hypothalamic targets for the projections from the CEAm and the BMAa, respectively. PSTN and CbN receive these projections through distinct dorsal and ventral routes in the LHA. The ventral pathway forms a differentiated tract, named here the ventrolateral amygdalo-hypothalamic tract (vlah), that is distinct from, but runs adjacent to, the vlt. Both the vlt and the vlah had been previously described as forming an olfactory path into the LHA. These results help to better characterize the CbN within the PSTN/CbN complex and are discussed in terms of the functional organization of the network involving the PSTN and the CbN as well as the CEA and the BMAa.
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33
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Neuroanatomical distribution of galectin-3 in the adult rat brain. J Mol Histol 2017; 48:133-146. [DOI: 10.1007/s10735-017-9712-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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34
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Enhanced Histone Acetylation in the Infralimbic Prefrontal Cortex is Associated with Fear Extinction. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2017; 37:1287-1301. [DOI: 10.1007/s10571-017-0464-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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35
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Pelrine E, Pasik SD, Bayat L, Goldschmiedt D, Bauer EP. 5-HT2C receptors in the BNST are necessary for the enhancement of fear learning by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2016; 136:189-195. [PMID: 27773594 PMCID: PMC5126982 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2016.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2016] [Revised: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are widely prescribed to treat anxiety and depression, yet they paradoxically increase anxiety during initial treatment. Acute administration of these drugs prior to learning can also enhance Pavlovian cued fear conditioning. This potentiation has been previously reported to depend upon the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). Here, using temporary inactivation, we confirmed that the BNST is not necessary for the acquisition of cued or contextual fear memory. Systemic administration of the SSRI citalopram prior to fear conditioning led to an upregulation of the immediate early gene Arc (activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein) in the oval nucleus of the BNST, and a majority of these neurons expressed the 5-HT2C receptor. Finally, local infusions of a 5-HT2C receptor antagonist directly into the oval nucleus of the BNST prevented the fear memory-enhancing effects of citalopram. These findings highlight the ability of the BNST circuitry to be recruited into gating fear and anxiety-like behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza Pelrine
- Biology Department, Barnard College, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Sara Diana Pasik
- Biology Department, Barnard College, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Leyla Bayat
- Biology Department, Barnard College, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | | | - Elizabeth P Bauer
- Biology Department, Barnard College, New York, NY 10027, United States.
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36
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Keifer OP, Hurt RC, Ressler KJ, Marvar PJ. The Physiology of Fear: Reconceptualizing the Role of the Central Amygdala in Fear Learning. Physiology (Bethesda) 2016; 30:389-401. [PMID: 26328883 DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00058.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The historically understood role of the central amygdala (CeA) in fear learning is to serve as a passive output station for processing and plasticity that occurs elsewhere in the brain. However, recent research has suggested that the CeA may play a more dynamic role in fear learning. In particular, there is growing evidence that the CeA is a site of plasticity and memory formation, and that its activity is subject to tight regulation. The following review examines the evidence for these three main roles of the CeA as they relate to fear learning. The classical role of the CeA as a routing station to fear effector brain structures like the periaqueductal gray, the lateral hypothalamus, and paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus will be briefly reviewed, but specific emphasis is placed on recent literature suggesting that the CeA 1) has an important role in the plasticity underlying fear learning, 2) is involved in regulation of other amygdala subnuclei, and 3) is itself regulated by intra- and extra-amygdalar input. Finally, we discuss the parallels of human and mouse CeA involvement in fear disorders and fear conditioning, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orion P Keifer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Robert C Hurt
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Bethesda, Maryland; and Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Paul J Marvar
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.;
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37
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Rodríguez-Sierra OE, Goswami S, Turesson HK, Pare D. Altered responsiveness of BNST and amygdala neurons in trauma-induced anxiety. Transl Psychiatry 2016; 6:e857. [PMID: 27434491 PMCID: PMC5545714 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2016.128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2016] [Revised: 04/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
A highly conserved network of brain structures regulates the expression of fear and anxiety in mammals. Many of these structures display abnormal activity levels in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, some of them, like the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and amygdala, are comprised of several small sub-regions or nuclei that cannot be resolved with human neuroimaging techniques. Therefore, we used a well-characterized rat model of PTSD to compare neuronal properties in resilient vs PTSD-like rats using patch recordings obtained from different BNST and amygdala regions in vitro. In this model, a persistent state of extreme anxiety is induced in a subset of susceptible rats following predatory threat. Previous animal studies have revealed that the central amygdala (CeA) and BNST are differentially involved in the genesis of fear and anxiety-like states, respectively. Consistent with these earlier findings, we found that between resilient and PTSD-like rats were marked differences in the synaptic responsiveness of neurons in different sectors of BNST and CeA, but whose polarity was region specific. In light of prior data about the role of these regions, our results suggest that control of fear/anxiety expression is altered in PTSD-like rats such that the influence of CeA is minimized whereas that of BNST is enhanced. A model of the amygdalo-BNST interactions supporting the PTSD-like state is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- O E Rodríguez-Sierra
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers State University, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - S Goswami
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - H K Turesson
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers State University, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - D Pare
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers State University, Newark, NJ, USA
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38
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Gallo M, Ballesteros M, Molero A, Morón I. Taste Aversion Learning as a Tool for the Study of Hippocampal and Non-Hippocampal Brain Memory Circuits Regulating Diet Selection. Nutr Neurosci 2016; 2:277-302. [DOI: 10.1080/1028415x.1999.11747284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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39
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Knox D. The role of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons in fear and extinction memory. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2016; 133:39-52. [PMID: 27264248 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2016.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2015] [Revised: 05/26/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Cholinergic input to the neocortex, dorsal hippocampus (dHipp), and basolateral amygdala (BLA) is critical for neural function and synaptic plasticity in these brain regions. Synaptic plasticity in the neocortex, dHipp, ventral Hipp (vHipp), and BLA has also been implicated in fear and extinction memory. This finding raises the possibility that basal forebrain (BF) cholinergic neurons, the predominant source of acetylcholine in these brain regions, have an important role in mediating fear and extinction memory. While empirical studies support this hypothesis, there are interesting inconsistencies among these studies that raise questions about how best to define the role of BF cholinergic neurons in fear and extinction memory. Nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM) cholinergic neurons that project to the BLA are critical for fear memory and contextual fear extinction memory. NBM cholinergic neurons that project to the neocortex are critical for cued and contextual fear conditioned suppression, but are not critical for fear memory in other behavioral paradigms and in the inhibitory avoidance paradigm may even inhibit contextual fear memory formation. Medial septum and diagonal band of Broca cholinergic neurons are critical for contextual fear memory and acquisition of cued fear extinction. Thus, even though the results of previous studies suggest BF cholinergic neurons modulate fear and extinction memory, inconsistent findings among these studies necessitates more research to better define the neural circuits and molecular processes through which BF cholinergic neurons modulate fear and extinction memory. Furthermore, studies determining if BF cholinergic neurons can be manipulated in such a manner so as to treat excessive fear in anxiety disorders are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dayan Knox
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States.
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40
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Dumais KM, Alonso AG, Bredewold R, Veenema AH. Role of the oxytocin system in amygdala subregions in the regulation of social interest in male and female rats. Neuroscience 2016; 330:138-49. [PMID: 27235738 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.05.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2016] [Revised: 05/13/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
We previously found that oxytocin (OT) receptor (OTR) binding density in the medial amygdala (MeA) correlated positively with social interest (i.e., the motivation to investigate a conspecific) in male rats, while OTR binding density in the central amygdala (CeA) correlated negatively with social interest in female rats. Here, we determined the causal involvement of OTR in the MeA and CeA in the sex-specific regulation of social interest in adult rats by injecting an OTR antagonist (5ng/0.5μl/side) or OT (100pg/0.5μl/side) before the social interest test (4-min same-sex juvenile exposure). OTR blockade in the CeA decreased social interest in males but not females, while all other treatments had no behavioral effect. To further explore the sex-specific involvement of the OT system in the CeA in social interest, we used in vivo microdialysis to determine possible sex differences in endogenous OT release in the CeA during social interest. Interestingly, males and females showed similar levels of extracellular OT release at baseline and during social interest, suggesting that factors other than local OT release mediate the sex-specific role of CeA-OTR in social interest. Moreover, we found a positive correlation between CeA-OT release and social investigation time in females. This was further reflected by reduced CeA-OT release during social interest in females that expressed low compared to high social interest. We discuss the possibility that this reduction in OT release may be a consequence, rather than a cause, of exposure to a social stimulus. Overall, our findings show for the first time that extracellular OT release in the CeA is similar between males and females and that OTR in the CeA plays a causal role in the regulation of social interest toward juvenile conspecifics in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly M Dumais
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, 300 McGuinn, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA.
| | - Andrea G Alonso
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, 300 McGuinn, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
| | - Remco Bredewold
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, 300 McGuinn, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
| | - Alexa H Veenema
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, 300 McGuinn, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
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Pomrenze MB, Millan EZ, Hopf FW, Keiflin R, Maiya R, Blasio A, Dadgar J, Kharazia V, De Guglielmo G, Crawford E, Janak PH, George O, Rice KC, Messing RO. A Transgenic Rat for Investigating the Anatomy and Function of Corticotrophin Releasing Factor Circuits. Front Neurosci 2015; 9:487. [PMID: 26733798 PMCID: PMC4689854 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2015.00487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2015] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) is a 41 amino acid neuropeptide that coordinates adaptive responses to stress. CRF projections from neurons in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) to the brainstem are of particular interest for their role in motivated behavior. To directly examine the anatomy and function of CRF neurons, we generated a BAC transgenic Crh-Cre rat in which bacterial Cre recombinase is expressed from the Crh promoter. Using Cre-dependent reporters, we found that Cre expressing neurons in these rats are immunoreactive for CRF and are clustered in the lateral CeA (CeL) and the oval nucleus of the BNST. We detected major projections from CeA CRF neurons to parabrachial nuclei and the locus coeruleus, dorsal and ventral BNST, and more minor projections to lateral portions of the substantia nigra, ventral tegmental area, and lateral hypothalamus. Optogenetic stimulation of CeA CRF neurons evoked GABA-ergic responses in 11% of non-CRF neurons in the medial CeA (CeM) and 44% of non-CRF neurons in the CeL. Chemogenetic stimulation of CeA CRF neurons induced Fos in a similar proportion of non-CRF CeM neurons but a smaller proportion of non-CRF CeL neurons. The CRF1 receptor antagonist R121919 reduced this Fos induction by two-thirds in these regions. These results indicate that CeL CRF neurons provide both local inhibitory GABA and excitatory CRF signals to other CeA neurons, and demonstrate the value of the Crh-Cre rat as a tool for studying circuit function and physiology of CRF neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew B Pomrenze
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX, USA
| | - E Zayra Millan
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - F Woodward Hopf
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ronald Keiflin
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Rajani Maiya
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX, USA
| | - Angelo Blasio
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX, USA
| | - Jahan Dadgar
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at AustinAustin, TX, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Viktor Kharazia
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Giordano De Guglielmo
- Committee on The Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Elena Crawford
- Committee on The Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Patricia H Janak
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Olivier George
- Committee on The Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kenner C Rice
- Chemical Biology Research Branch, Drug Design and Synthesis Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Robert O Messing
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at AustinAustin, TX, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA, USA
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Gungor NZ, Yamamoto R, Paré D. Optogenetic study of the projections from the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis to the central amygdala. J Neurophysiol 2015; 114:2903-11. [PMID: 26400259 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00677.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been proposed that the central amygdala (CeA), particularly its medial sector (CeM), generates brief fear responses to discrete conditioned cues, whereas the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) promotes long-lasting, anxiety-like states in response to more diffuse contingencies. Although it is believed that BNST-CeA interactions determine the transition between short- and long-duration responses, the nature of these interactions remains unknown. To shed light on this question, we used a double viral strategy to drive the expression of channelrhodopsin (ChR2) in BNST cells that project to CeA. Next, using patch-clamp recordings in vitro, we investigated the connectivity of infected cells to noninfected cells in BNST and compared the influence of BNST axons on neurons in the medial and lateral (CeL) parts of CeA. CeA-projecting BNST cells were concentrated in the anterolateral (AL) and anteroventral (AV) sectors of BNST. Dense plexuses of BNST axons were observed throughout CeA. In CeA and BNST, light-evoked excitatory postsynaptic potentials accounted for a minority of responses (0-9% of tested cells); inhibition prevailed. The incidence of inhibitory responses was higher in CeM than in CeL (66% and 43% of tested cells, respectively). Within BNST, the connections from CeA-projecting to non-CeA-targeting cells varied as a function of the BNST sector: 50% vs. 9% of tested cells exhibited light-evoked responses in BNST-AL vs. BNST-AV, respectively. Overall, these results suggest that via its projection to CeA, BNST exerts an inhibitory influence over cued fear and that BNST neurons projecting to CeA form contrasting connections in different BNST subnuclei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur Zeynep Gungor
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University-Newark, Newark, New Jersey
| | - Ryo Yamamoto
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University-Newark, Newark, New Jersey
| | - Denis Paré
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University-Newark, Newark, New Jersey
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Kirouac GJ. Placing the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus within the brain circuits that control behavior. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 56:315-29. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 221] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2015] [Revised: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 08/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Abstract
Decades of research has identified the brain areas that are involved in fear, fear extinction, anxiety and related defensive behaviours. Newly developed genetic and viral tools, optogenetics and advanced in vivo imaging techniques have now made it possible to characterize the activity, connectivity and function of specific cell types within complex neuronal circuits. Recent findings that have been made using these tools and techniques have provided mechanistic insights into the exquisite organization of the circuitry underlying internal defensive states. This Review focuses on studies that have used circuit-based approaches to gain a more detailed, and also more comprehensive and integrated, view on how the brain governs fear and anxiety and how it orchestrates adaptive defensive behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Tovote
- 1] Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland. [2]
| | - Jonathan Paul Fadok
- 1] Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland. [2]
| | - Andreas Lüthi
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
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Organization of connections between the amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, and lateral hypothalamus: a single and double retrograde tracing study in rats. Brain Struct Funct 2015; 221:2937-62. [PMID: 26169110 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-015-1081-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2015] [Accepted: 07/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) are highly interconnected telencephalic areas critical for cognitive processes, including associative learning and decision making. Both structures strongly innervate the lateral hypothalamus (LHA), an important component of the networks underlying the control of feeding and other motivated behaviors. The amygdala-prefrontal-lateral hypothalamic system is therefore well positioned to exert cognitive control over behavior. However, the organization of this system is not well defined, particularly the topography of specific circuitries between distinct cell groups within these complex, heterogeneous regions. This study used two retrograde tracers to map the connections from the amygdala (central and basolateral area nuclei) and mPFC to the LHA in detail, and to determine whether amygdalar pathways to the mPFC and to LHA originate from the same or different neurons. One tracer was placed into a distinct mPFC area (dorsal anterior cingulate, prelimbic, infralimbic, or rostromedial orbital), and the other into dorsal or ventral LHA. We report that the central nucleus and basolateral area of the amygdala send projections to distinct LHA regions, dorsal and ventral, respectively. The basolateral area, but not central nucleus, also sends substantial projections to the mPFC, topographically organized rostrocaudal to dorsoventral. The entire mPFC, in turn, projects to the LHA, providing a separate route for potential amygdalar influence following mPFC processing. Nearly all amygdalar projections to the mPFC and to the LHA originated from different neurons suggesting amygdala and amygdala-mPFC processing influence the LHA independently, and the balance of these parallel pathways ultimately controls motivated behaviors.
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46
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Gafford GM, Ressler KJ. Mouse models of fear-related disorders: Cell-type-specific manipulations in amygdala. Neuroscience 2015; 321:108-120. [PMID: 26102004 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2015] [Revised: 06/06/2015] [Accepted: 06/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Fear conditioning is a model system used to study threat responses, fear memory and their dysregulation in a variety of organisms. Newly developed tools such as optogenetics, Cre recombinase and DREADD technologies have allowed researchers to manipulate anatomically or molecularly defined cell subtypes with a high degree of temporal control and determine the effect of this manipulation on behavior. These targeted molecular techniques have opened up a new appreciation for the critical contributions different subpopulations of cells make to fear behavior and potentially to treatment of fear and anxiety disorders. Here we review progress to date across a variety of techniques to understand fear-related behavior through the manipulation of different cell subtypes within the amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- G M Gafford
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - K J Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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47
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Janitzky K, D׳Hanis W, Kröber A, Schwegler H. TMT predator odor activated neural circuit in C57BL/6J mice indicates TMT-stress as a suitable model for uncontrollable intense stress. Brain Res 2015; 1599:1-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.12.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2014] [Revised: 11/30/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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48
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Serotonin in fear conditioning processes. Behav Brain Res 2015; 277:68-77. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.07.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2014] [Revised: 07/18/2014] [Accepted: 07/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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49
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Encoding of fear learning and memory in distributed neuronal circuits. Nat Neurosci 2014; 17:1644-54. [PMID: 25413091 DOI: 10.1038/nn.3869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 295] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2014] [Accepted: 10/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
How sensory information is transformed by learning into adaptive behaviors is a fundamental question in neuroscience. Studies of auditory fear conditioning have revealed much about the formation and expression of emotional memories and have provided important insights into this question. Classical work focused on the amygdala as a central structure for fear conditioning. Recent advances, however, have identified new circuits and neural coding strategies mediating fear learning and the expression of fear behaviors. One area of research has identified key brain regions and neuronal coding mechanisms that regulate the formation, specificity and strength of fear memories. Other work has discovered critical circuits and neuronal dynamics by which fear memories are expressed through a medial prefrontal cortex pathway and coordinated activity across interconnected brain regions. Here we review these recent advances alongside prior work to provide a working model of the extended circuits and neuronal coding mechanisms mediating fear learning and memory.
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50
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Lu Y, Sun XD, Hou FQ, Bi LL, Yin DM, Liu F, Chen YJ, Bean JC, Jiao HF, Liu X, Li BM, Xiong WC, Gao TM, Mei L. Maintenance of GABAergic Activity by Neuregulin 1-ErbB4 in Amygdala for Fear Memory. Neuron 2014; 84:835-46. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.09.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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