Title: | An alarm pheromone reduces ventral tegmental area-nucleus accumbens shell responsivity |
Author(s): | Gutierrez-Garcia AG; Contreras CM; Saldivar-Lara M; |
Address: | "Laboratorio de Neurofarmacologia, Instituto de Neuroetologia, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, 91190, Mexico. Laboratorio de Neurofarmacologia, Instituto de Neuroetologia, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, 91190, Mexico; Unidad Periferica Xalapa, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomedicas, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Xalapa, Veracruz, 91190, Mexico. Electronic address: ccontreras@uv.mx" |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.04.054 |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1872-7972 (Electronic) 0304-3940 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "2-Heptanone (methyl n-amyl ketone) is a ketone that produces alarm reactions in insects (e.g., bees and ants). As an olfactory stimulus, 2-heptanone produces anxiety reactions in the short term and despair in the long term in rodent models. Among the anatomical connections of the olfactory system that integrate behavioral responses, connections between the amygdala and nucleus accumbens are important, which in turn form a circuit with the ventral tegmental area (VTA). 2-Heptanone increases the firing rate of amygdala neurons without participation of the vomeronasal organ. The olfactory amygdala-VTA-nucleus accumbens circuit may integrate defensive behaviors, but the possible actions of 2-heptanone on the responsivity of VTA-nucleus accumbens connections have not yet been explored. In the present study, multiunit activity recordings were obtained in adult Wistar rats from the core and shell subregions of the nucleus accumbens during electrical stimulation of the VTA under basal conditions and later during simultaneous stimulation of the VTA and olfactory exposure to 2-heptanone. 2-Heptanone reduced the responsivity of the VTA-nucleus accumbens shell but did not influence the responsivity of the VTA-nucleus accumbens core. The lower VTA-nucleus accumbens shell excitability may be related to a primary defensive warning when exposed to an alarm pheromone" |
Keywords: | Action Potentials/drug effects Animals Electric Stimulation Ketones/*administration & dosage Male Neural Pathways/drug effects/physiology Neurons/drug effects/*physiology Nucleus Accumbens/drug effects/*physiology Pheromones/administration & dosage/*physi; |
Notes: | "MedlineGutierrez-Garcia, Ana G Contreras, Carlos M Saldivar-Lara, Mauricio eng Ireland 2018/05/05 Neurosci Lett. 2018 Jun 21; 678:16-21. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.04.054. Epub 2018 May 1" |