Lack of feedback inhibition on rat basolateral amygdala following stress or withdrawal from sedative-hypnotic drugs

ISOARDI, NORA; MARIA BERTOTTTO; IRENE MARTIJENA; VICTOR A. MOLINA AND HUGO CARRER.

Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Año: 2007 vol. 26 p. 1036 - 1036

font size="2" face="AdvPSHEL"> Abstract Previous research has demonstrated that suppression of inhibition in projection neurons of the basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA) represents an essential mechanism underlying the emergence of negative emotional responses, including exaggerated fear and anxiety. The present work evaluates inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) in pyramidal projection neurons of the BLA in rats subjected to either diazepam or ethanol withdrawal or uncontrollable stress. These are experimental paradigms conducive to a negative emotional state. In slices containing the BLA, IPSPs were studied using whole-cell patch clamp. In control animals, a small IPSP was evoked by sub-threshold stimulation of the external capsule. When an action potential (AP) was evoked by supra-threshold