Title

Ventral tegmental area-basolateral amygdala-nucleus accumbens shell neurocircuitry controls the expression of heroin-conditioned immunomodulation

Authors

Jennifer L. Szczytkowski-Thomson, Messiah UniversityFollow
Rita Fuchs
Donald Lysle

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2011

Abstract

The present investigations sought to determine whether the ventral tegmental area (VTA), basolateral amygdala (BLA), and nucleus accumbens shell (NAC) comprise a circuitry that mediates heroin-induced conditioned immunomodulation. Rats were given conditioning trials in which they received an injection of heroin upon placement into a distinctive environment. Prior to testing, rats received unilateral intra-BLA microinfusion of a D₁ antagonist concomitantly with unilateral intra-NAC shell microinfusion of an NMDA antagonist. Disconnection of the VTA–BLA–NAC circuit impaired the ability of the heroin-paired environment to suppress lipopolysaccharide-induced immune responses, defining for the first time a specific neural circuit involved in conditioned neural-immune interactions.

Comments

Originally published as:

Szczytkowski-Thomson, J. L., Fuchs, R. A., & Lysle, D. T. (2011). Ventral tegmental area-basolateral amygdala-nucleus accumbens shell neurocircuitry controls the expression of heroin-conditioned immunomodulation. Journal of Neuroimmunology, 237(1–2), 47–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneuroim.2011.06.002

Recommended Citation

Szczytkowski-Thomson, Jennifer L.; Fuchs, Rita; and Lysle, Donald, "Ventral tegmental area-basolateral amygdala-nucleus accumbens shell neurocircuitry controls the expression of heroin-conditioned immunomodulation" (2011). Psychology Educator Scholarship. 34.
https://mosaic.messiah.edu/psych_ed/34