Basolateral amygdala noradrenergic activity is involved in the acquisition of conditioned odor aversion in the rat.
Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. 2007-09-01; 88(2): 260-263
DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2007.04.008
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1. Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2007 Sep;88(2):260-3. Epub 2007 May 30.
Basolateral amygdala noradrenergic activity is involved in the acquisition of
conditioned odor aversion in the rat.
Miranda MA(1), Ferry B, Ferreira G.
Author information:
(1)Departamento de Neurobiologia Conductual y Cognitiva, Instituto de
Neurobiologia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, AP 1-1141, 76001
Querétaro, QRO, Mexico.
Conditioned odor aversion (COA) is the avoidance of an odorized-tasteless
solution (the conditioned stimulus, CS), the ingestion of which precedes
toxicosis. Previous works have shown that the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala
(BLA) is involved in the acquisition, and more precisely, the control of the CS
memory trace, of COA. Since catecholamine depletion of the amygdala induced a
deficit in the potentiated version of COA, this study investigated the role of
the adrenergic system in the BLA during COA. Male Wistar rats bilaterally
implanted with cannulae aimed at the BLA were microinjected with the
beta-adrenergic antagonist propranolol (1 microg/0.2 microl) during the
acquisition (5 min before the CS presentation, pre-CS, or immediately after,
post-CS) or during the retrieval test (5 min before test, pre-test). Results
showed that pre-CS, but neither post-CS nor pre-test, infusions of propranolol
impaired COA, suggesting that beta-adrenergic system activity in the BLA is
involved in the acquisition but not the expression of COA. Moreover, the fact
that pre-CS, but not post-CS, treatment disrupted COA suggests that
beta-adrenergic system in the BLA is involved in the initiation but not the
maintenance of the CS memory trace during COA acquisition.
DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2007.04.008
PMID: 17540584 [Indexed for MEDLINE]