Cannabinoid receptors in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis control cortical excitation of midbrain dopamine cells in vivo.
Journal of Neuroscience. 2008-10-15; 28(42): 10496-10508
DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2291-08.2008
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1. J Neurosci. 2008 Oct 15;28(42):10496-508. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2291-08.2008.
Cannabinoid receptors in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis control cortical
excitation of midbrain dopamine cells in vivo.
Massi L(1), Elezgarai I, Puente N, Reguero L, Grandes P, Manzoni OJ, Georges F.
Author information:
(1)Pathophysiology of Synaptic Plasticity Group, INSERM, U862, Neurocentre
Magendie and Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, F-33000, France.
The endocannabinoid system is involved in multiple physiological functions
including reward. Cannabinoids potently control the activity of midbrain dopamine
cells, but the contribution of cortical projections in this phenomenon is
unclear. We show that the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) efficient
relays cortical excitation to dopamine neurons of the ventral tegmental area
(VTA). Anatomical and in vivo electrophysiological evidence demonstrate that
excitatory projections arising exclusively from the infralimbic cortex converge
on BNST neurons, which in turn project to and excite >80% VTA dopamine cells. At
the ultrastructural level, cannabinoid type 1 receptors are detected within the
BNST on axon terminals arising from the infralimbic cortex. We found that
intra-BNST infusion of a cannabinoid agonist inhibits the firing of dopamine
cells evoked by stimulation of the infralimbic cortex. Our data identify a new
neuronal substrate for the actions of cannabinoids in the reward pathway.
DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2291-08.2008
PMID: 18923026 [Indexed for MEDLINE]