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Inhibition of alpha-adrenergic receptors in the basolateral amygdala exacerbates stress-induced memory impairment in male rats
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Ali Dehghani   , Hedayat Sahraei , Gholam Hossein Meftahi *  |
| Neuroscience Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran |
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Abstract: (384 Views) |
Background and Aim: The noradrenergic system in the basolateral amygdala and hippocampus regulates cognitive functions. These brain regions are susceptible to the damaging effects of exposure to stress. In this study, by infusing an antagonist of alpha-adrenergic receptors (phentolamine) in the basolateral amygdala following stress, we investigated the involvement of these receptors in this area in the changes in passive avoidance memory and the morphology of neurons in the CA1 area of the hippocampus.
Methods: Cannulation was performed bilaterally in the basolateral-amygdala in male rats using a stereotaxic device. Seven days after recovery, the animals were placed in the communication box and were subjected to stress for four days. Twenty minutes before stress, phentolamine (one microgram/one microliter) was injected bilaterally into the basolateral amygdala. The shuttle box test and Golgi-Cox staining were used.
Results: The results of the shuttle box test showed that four days of foot-shock stress decreased step-through latency time. Also, the injection of phentolamine in the basolateral amygdala in with and without stress conditions significantly reduced the step-through latency time compared to the stress group. The results of Golgi-Cox staining showed that the number of dendritic spines in hippocampal CA1 neurons decreases under stress conditions and phentolamine injection in the basolateral amygdala compared to the control group.
Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, stress causes memory impairment and changes in the morphology of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons, which may be mediated through the mechanism of alpha-adrenergic receptors in the basolateral amygdala.
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| Keywords: Stress, Memory, Dendritic spines, Hippocampal CA1 region |
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Full-Text [PDF 830 kb]
(164 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Original Research |
Subject:
Neuroscience
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