Thesis advisor: Gorica Petrovich / Thesis advisor: Christina Reppucci / Previously our lab has shown that food-deprived male and female rats will inhibit food consumption when presented with a conditioned stimulus that signals danger, and that this effect persists much longer in females than in males. The current experiment is part of a larger study that has two aims: 1) delineate the brain areas associated with fear-cue induced anorexia and 2) determine whether there are sex-differences in brain activation patterns. Female rats previously conditioned in an aversive paradigm inhibited food intake compared to female rats in the control group during three extinction tests, while experimental males only inhibited intake compared to male controls during test one. Following the third test, rats were sacrificed and brain tissue processed to assess activation patterns via Fos-expression within the central nucleus of the amygdala (CEA). We found that males had higher activation than females during test 3 in the CEA. / Thesis (BS) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Psychology Honors Program. / Discipline: Psychology.

L'amygdale centrale (EAc) est un macrosystème du cerveau antérieur qui joue un rôle important dans la peur, l'anxiété et la douleur. Les deux composants clés, le noyau latéral du lit de la strie terminale (STL) et l’amygdale centrale (CeA), possèdent des caractéristiques neurochimiques, hodologiques et fonctionnelles très similaires. En dépit de cette vision simplifiée du STL et du CeA, de nombreuses questions résident quant à l'organisation mésoscopique des entrées et des sorties des subdivisions de l''EAc chez la souris. En outre, il reste à déterminer si ces similitudes de connexion sont également partagées au niveau cellulaire. Dans ce travail, nous avons abordé ces questions de manière comparative chez la souris. Nous avons trouvé de riches afférences et efférences préférentielles pour les différentes subdivisions de l'EAC, ainsi que des afférences convergentes et divergentes. Nous avons également mis en évidence deux groupes distincts de cellules exprimant la protéine kinase C delta (PKCδ) ou la somatostatine (SOM) qui sous-tendent des circuits neuronaux spécifiques parallèles dans le STL et le CeA, ainsi qu'entre les deux structures. Enfin, des données préliminaires suggèrent que les neurones exprimant la PKCδ dans le STL et le CeA pourraient être impliqués dans la douleur tonique. Ces organisations structurales parallèles, mais aussi différentielles, des circuits neuronaux dans le EAc pourraient sous-tendre des aspects fonctionnels similaires et dissociables de l'anxiété, de la peur et de la douleur. / Central extended amygdala (EAc) is a forebrain macrosystem that plays important roles in fear, anxiety and pain. The two key components, the lateral bed nucleus of stria terminalis (STL) and central nucleus of amygdala (CeA), are highly similar in their neurochemical, connectional, and functional features. Despite this simplified view of STL and CeA, much remains elusive of the mesoscopic inputs and outputs of EAc subdivisions in mouse model. Also, it is not known whether the connectional similarities are also shared at cellular level. Here, we addressed these question in comparative ways in mice. We found rich preferential inputs and outputs to different subdivisions of EAc, as well as convergent and divergent inputs. We also found two non-overlapping cell groups expressing either protein kinase C delta (PKCδ) or somatostatin (SOM) organize the parallel cell-type specific neuronal circuits in STL and CeA. Finally, preliminary data suggest that PKCδ in STL and CeA might be implicated in tonic pain. These parallel but also differential structural organizations of neuronal circuits in EAc might underlie similar and dissociable functional aspects of anxiety, fear and pain.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:22:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 6708.pdf: 2113975 bytes, checksum: 30511a391fdfda439671c285b41c07c1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-27 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) and the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPBN) are important areas for the control of sodium appetite. The functional integrity of the CeA is critical to sodium and water intake when LPBN the inhibitory mechanisms are deactivated. Therefore, the aims of this study were to investigate the role of different neurotransmitters of the CeA in the control of sodium and water intake induced by a) sodium depletion and b) after blockade of LPBN inhibitory mechanisms. Male Holtzman rats with stainless steel guide cannula implanted bilaterally only in CeA or both into the CeA and LPBN were used. Sodium (0.3 M NaCl) intake was evaluated in satiated, hyperosmotic and sodium-depleted rats. In sodium-depleted animals, bilateral administration of α2- adrenergic/imidazoline receptor agonist moxonidine (10 nmol) into CeA reduced 0.3 M NaCl and water intake. Moreover, bilateral injections of muscimol (0.25 nmol) into CeA reduced sodium intake without change water intake. Oxytocin receptors activation or its blockade in the CeA, blockade of muscarinic cholinergic receptor or activation of 5HT2A/2C serotonergic receptor into the CeA did not change 0.3 M NaCl or water intake in sodium-depleted animals. Bilateral injections of opioid receptor antagonist naloxone (40 μg) into the CeA did not significantly change 0.3 M NaCl and water intake in sodium-depleted animals. However, sodium and water intake induced by bilateral injections of muscimol (0.5 nmol) into the LPBN in satiated animals were completely abolished after bilateral injections of naloxone (40 μg) into CeA. Furthermore, paradoxical sodium intake observed in rats that received oral gavage with 2 M NaCl (2 ml/rat) combined with bilateral injections of moxonidine (0.5 nmol) in LPBN was also blocked by bilateral naloxone (40 μg) into the CeA. 0.3 M NaCl and water intake induced by bilateral muscimol injections (0.5 nmol) into LPBN in satiated animals were abolished by blocking AT1 angiotensin receptors (losartan - 20 μg) in CeA. In sodium-depleted animals, bilateral injections of losartan (20 μg) into the CeA significantly reduced water intake but did not affect sodium intake. Bilateral injections of the aldosterone antagonist RU 28318 (50 ng) did not change sodium and water intake induced by sodium depletion. Present results suggest that ocitocinergic, cholinergic muscarinic, 5-HT2A/2C serotonergic receptors and aldosterone receptors of the CeA do not participate in the control of 0.3 M NaCl intake induced by sodium depletion. Moreover, present results suggest that GABAergic and α2-adrenergic receptors of the CeA have an inhibitory role for sodium appetite in this situation. Although opioids and angiotensinergic mechanisms of the CeA apparently do not contribute to sodium depletion-induced sodium intake, opioidergic and angiotensinergic mechanisms in CeA are essential for sodium intake when the LPBN inhibitory mechanisms are blockade by LPBN muscimol injection. In addition, opioidergic mechanisms in CeA are also essential for the paradoxical sodium intake by hyperosmotic animals when the inhibitory mechanisms are attenuated by LPBN moxonidine. Therefore, the activation of opioidergic and angiotensinergic receptors of the CeA is required for sodium intake observed after removal or attenuation of LPBN inhibitory mechanisms. / O núcleo central da amígdala (CeA) e o núcleo parabraquial lateral (NPBL) são regiões importantíssimas para o controle da ingestão sódio e água. A integridade funcional do CeA é fundamental para a ingestão de sódio e água quando ocorre redução da atividade dos mecanismos inibitórios do NPBL. Portanto, os objetivos do presente estudo foram investigar a participação de alguns neurotransmissores no CeA no controle da ingestão de sódio e água induzida a) por desidratação extracelular e b) após o bloqueio dos mecanismos inibitórios do NPBL. Para tanto foram utilizados ratos Holtzman com cânulas guia de aço inoxidável implantadas bilateralmente apenas no CeA ou bilateralmente no CeA e no NPBL. A ingestão de NaCl 1,8% foi avaliada em animais saciados, hiperosmóticos ou com depleção de sódio. Em animais depletados de sódio, a administração bilateral do agonista de receptores adrenérgicos α2/imidazólicos moxonidina (10 nmol), assim como a de muscimol (0,25 nmol) no CeA reduziram a ingestão de NaCl 1,8%. A ativação ou bloqueio dos receptores de ocitocina, o bloqueio de receptores muscarínicos, ativação de receptores serotenérgicos 5-HT2A/2C, ou ainda o bloqueio de receptores de aldosterona no CeA não modificaram a ingestão de sódio e água. Contudo, injeções bilaterais de losartan (20 μg) no CeA reduziram a ingestão de água, mas não modificaram a ingestão de sódio em animais depletados. Já a ingestão de sódio e água induzidas por muscimol (0,5 nmol) no NPBL em animais saciados foram abolidas após bloqueio de receptores AT1 de angiotensina com administração de losartan no CeA. Administração bilateral de naloxona (40 μg) no CeA não modificou a ingestão de NaCl 1,8% e de água em animais desidratados. No entanto, a ingestão de sódio e água induzidas por injeções bilaterais de muscimol (0,5 nmol) no NPBL em animais saciados foram completamente bloqueadas após injeções bilaterais de naloxona no CeA. Além disso, a ingestão paradoxal de NaCl 0,3 M observada em ratos hiperosmóticos após o tratamento bilateral de moxonidina no NPBL também foi bloqueada pelas injeções de naloxona no CeA. Os presentes resultados sugerem que receptores ocitocinérgicos, colinérgicos muscarínicos, serotoninérgicos 5-HT2 e receptores de aldosterona no CeA não participam do controle da ingestão de NaCl 1,8% induzida por depleção de sódio. Por outro lado, os presentes resultados sugerem que receptores GABAérgicos e receptores adrenérgicos α2 no CeA apresentam um papel inibitório para o apetite ao sódio nessa situação. Embora os mecanismos opióides e angiotensinérgicos no CeA aparentemente não contribuam para a ingestão de sódio induzida pela depleção de sódio, os mecanismos opióides e angiotensinérgicos no CeA são essenciais para a ingestão de sódio observada quando os mecanismos inibitórios do NPBL são desativados pela ação do muscimol nessa área. Além disso, os mecanismos opióides no CeA também são essenciais para a ingestão paradoxal de sódio em animais hiperosmóticos quando os mecanismos inibitórios são atenuados pela ação da moxonidina no NPBL. Portanto, a ativação de receptores opióides e de receptores angiotensinérgicos no CeA é necessária para a ingestão de sódio observada após a remoção ou atenuação dos mecanismos inibitórios NPBL.

No description available.