Abstract
The nucleus incertus (NI) is a small cluster of brainstem neurons presumed to play a role in stress responses. We show that swim stress (normal water: 30 min and cold water: 20 min) and elevation stress robustly induced c-Fos expression in the NI and significantly suppressed long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampo-medial prefrontal cortical (HP-mPFC) pathway. To examine whether activation of CRF1 receptors in the NI plays a role in the suppression of HP-mPFC LTP, antalarmin, a specific CRF1 receptor antagonist, was infused directly into the NI either before presentation of (1) elevation stress or (2) high frequency stimulation. As predicted, the intra-NI infusion of antalarmin reversed the elevation stress-induced suppression of LTP in the HP-mPFC pathway. This report suggests that the CRF1 receptor in the NI contributes to stress-related impairment in plasticity of the HP-mPFC pathway. The findings suggest that the NI-HP-mPFC is a stress responsive circuit in the rodent brain.
Keywords:
Hippocampus; Medial prefrontal cortex; Nucleus incertus; Plasticity; Stress; c-Fos.
Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Brain Stem / drug effects
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Brain Stem / pathology
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Brain Stem / physiopathology*
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Catheters, Indwelling
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Cold Temperature
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Disease Models, Animal
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Electrodes, Implanted
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Fluorescent Antibody Technique
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Hippocampus / drug effects
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Hippocampus / pathology
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Hippocampus / physiopathology*
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Long-Term Potentiation / drug effects
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Long-Term Potentiation / physiology*
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Male
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Neural Pathways / drug effects
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Neural Pathways / pathology
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Neural Pathways / physiopathology
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Neurons / drug effects
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Neurons / pathology
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Neurons / physiology
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Neurotransmitter Agents / pharmacology
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Prefrontal Cortex / drug effects
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Prefrontal Cortex / pathology
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Prefrontal Cortex / physiopathology*
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / metabolism
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Pyrimidines / pharmacology
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Pyrroles / pharmacology
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Rats, Sprague-Dawley
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Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / antagonists & inhibitors
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Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / metabolism*
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Stress, Psychological / drug therapy
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Stress, Psychological / physiopathology*
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Swimming
Substances
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Neurotransmitter Agents
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos
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Pyrimidines
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Pyrroles
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Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone
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antalarmin
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CRF receptor type 1