A projection from the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus to the shell of the nucleus accumbens contributes to footshock stress-induced social avoidance
The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) is an area of the dorsal midline thalamus that contributes to footshock induced anxiety. The PVT sends a dense projection to the shell of the nucleus accumbens (NAcSh) and the present study explored if this projection is involved in the behavioral ch...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2020-11-01
|
| Series: | Neurobiology of Stress |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352289520300564 |
| _version_ | 1818722016487800832 |
|---|---|
| author | Xinwen Dong Sa Li Gilbert J. Kirouac |
| author_facet | Xinwen Dong Sa Li Gilbert J. Kirouac |
| author_sort | Xinwen Dong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) is an area of the dorsal midline thalamus that contributes to footshock induced anxiety. The PVT sends a dense projection to the shell of the nucleus accumbens (NAcSh) and the present study explored if this projection is involved in the behavioral changes produced by a single exposure of rats to inescapable footshocks. The inhibitory Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs) hM4Di was transduced in PVT neurons that project to the NAcSh. Rats were exposed to an episode of moderately intense footshock (1.5 mA × 2 s × 5) and assigned to either high-responder (HR) or low-responder groups (LR) according to their level of fear generalization 24 h later. The effect of chemogenetic inhibition of the PVT-NAcSh projection on anxiety- and fear-like behaviors was assessed at approximately 2 weeks post-footshock. HR showed a higher level of social avoidance compared to non-shocked animals and LR. The elevated level of social avoidance was attenuated in the HR treated with the hM4Di agonist clozapine (0.01 mg/kg, i.p.) or clozapine N-oxide (CNO) administrations in the NAcSh while avoidance of open spaces and contextual fear expression were not affected. Analysis of protein product of the early to immediate gene cfos indicated that these effects were mediated by dynorphin neurons in the NAcSh. This study provides evidence for a role of a projection from the PVT to the NAcSh in stress-induced social avoidance independent of anxiety to non-social stimuli and contextual fear mechanisms. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T20:47:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f0e79dffe8f8456783b091e7e824febd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2352-2895 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T20:47:55Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Neurobiology of Stress |
| spelling | doaj.art-f0e79dffe8f8456783b091e7e824febd2022-12-21T21:33:06ZengElsevierNeurobiology of Stress2352-28952020-11-0113100266A projection from the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus to the shell of the nucleus accumbens contributes to footshock stress-induced social avoidanceXinwen Dong0Sa Li1Gilbert J. Kirouac2Department of Oral Biology, Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3E 0W2, Canada; Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, ChinaDepartment of Oral Biology, Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3E 0W2, CanadaDepartment of Oral Biology, Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3E 0W2, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3E 0W2, Canada; Corresponding author. Department of Oral Biology; Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry; Rady Faculty of Health Sciences; 780 Bannatyne Avenue; Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3E 0W2, Canada.The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) is an area of the dorsal midline thalamus that contributes to footshock induced anxiety. The PVT sends a dense projection to the shell of the nucleus accumbens (NAcSh) and the present study explored if this projection is involved in the behavioral changes produced by a single exposure of rats to inescapable footshocks. The inhibitory Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs) hM4Di was transduced in PVT neurons that project to the NAcSh. Rats were exposed to an episode of moderately intense footshock (1.5 mA × 2 s × 5) and assigned to either high-responder (HR) or low-responder groups (LR) according to their level of fear generalization 24 h later. The effect of chemogenetic inhibition of the PVT-NAcSh projection on anxiety- and fear-like behaviors was assessed at approximately 2 weeks post-footshock. HR showed a higher level of social avoidance compared to non-shocked animals and LR. The elevated level of social avoidance was attenuated in the HR treated with the hM4Di agonist clozapine (0.01 mg/kg, i.p.) or clozapine N-oxide (CNO) administrations in the NAcSh while avoidance of open spaces and contextual fear expression were not affected. Analysis of protein product of the early to immediate gene cfos indicated that these effects were mediated by dynorphin neurons in the NAcSh. This study provides evidence for a role of a projection from the PVT to the NAcSh in stress-induced social avoidance independent of anxiety to non-social stimuli and contextual fear mechanisms.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352289520300564Social anxietyParaventricular nucleus of the thalamusNucleus accumbensDynorphinSocial avoidance |
| spellingShingle | Xinwen Dong Sa Li Gilbert J. Kirouac A projection from the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus to the shell of the nucleus accumbens contributes to footshock stress-induced social avoidance Neurobiology of Stress Social anxiety Paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus Nucleus accumbens Dynorphin Social avoidance |
| title | A projection from the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus to the shell of the nucleus accumbens contributes to footshock stress-induced social avoidance |
| title_full | A projection from the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus to the shell of the nucleus accumbens contributes to footshock stress-induced social avoidance |
| title_fullStr | A projection from the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus to the shell of the nucleus accumbens contributes to footshock stress-induced social avoidance |
| title_full_unstemmed | A projection from the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus to the shell of the nucleus accumbens contributes to footshock stress-induced social avoidance |
| title_short | A projection from the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus to the shell of the nucleus accumbens contributes to footshock stress-induced social avoidance |
| title_sort | projection from the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus to the shell of the nucleus accumbens contributes to footshock stress induced social avoidance |
| topic | Social anxiety Paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus Nucleus accumbens Dynorphin Social avoidance |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352289520300564 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT xinwendong aprojectionfromtheparaventricularnucleusofthethalamustotheshellofthenucleusaccumbenscontributestofootshockstressinducedsocialavoidance AT sali aprojectionfromtheparaventricularnucleusofthethalamustotheshellofthenucleusaccumbenscontributestofootshockstressinducedsocialavoidance AT gilbertjkirouac aprojectionfromtheparaventricularnucleusofthethalamustotheshellofthenucleusaccumbenscontributestofootshockstressinducedsocialavoidance AT xinwendong projectionfromtheparaventricularnucleusofthethalamustotheshellofthenucleusaccumbenscontributestofootshockstressinducedsocialavoidance AT sali projectionfromtheparaventricularnucleusofthethalamustotheshellofthenucleusaccumbenscontributestofootshockstressinducedsocialavoidance AT gilbertjkirouac projectionfromtheparaventricularnucleusofthethalamustotheshellofthenucleusaccumbenscontributestofootshockstressinducedsocialavoidance |