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Effects of context‐drug learning on synaptic connectivity in the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala in rats
Author(s) -
Rademacher David J.,
MendozaElias Nasya,
Meredith Gloria E.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
european journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.346
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1460-9568
pISSN - 0953-816X
DOI - 10.1111/ejn.12781
Subject(s) - neuroscience , excitatory postsynaptic potential , basolateral amygdala , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , context (archaeology) , amygdala , biology , chemistry , paleontology
Context‐drug learning produces structural and functional synaptic changes in the circuitry of the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala ( BLA ). However, how the synaptic changes translated to the neuronal targets was not established. Thus, in the present study, immunohistochemistry with a cell‐specific marker and the stereological quantification of synapses was used to determine if context‐drug learning increases the number of excitatory and inhibitory/modulatory synapses contacting the gamma‐aminobutyric acid ( GABA ) interneurons and/or the pyramidal neurons in the BLA circuitry. Amphetamine‐conditioned place preference increased the number of asymmetric (excitatory) synapses contacting the spines and dendrites of pyramidal neurons and the number of multisynaptic boutons contacting pyramidal neurons and GABA interneurons. Context‐drug learning increased asymmetric (excitatory) synapses onto dendrites of GABA interneurons and increased symmetric (inhibitory or modulatory) synapses onto dendrites but not perikarya of these same interneurons. The formation of context–drug associations alters the synaptic connectivity in the BLA circuitry, findings that have important implications for drug‐seeking behavior.

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