Anxiety-like behavior induced by fear memory recall is dependent on the labilization process: influence of ethanol dependence

Buenos Aires

Congreso; 2nd FALAN Congress; 2016

2nd Congress of the Federation of Latin American and Caribbean Neuroscience Societies (FALAN). 2016 (XII Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Chilena de Neurociencias, XV Jornadas de la Sociedad de Neurociencias del Uruguay; XXXI Congreso Anual de la Sociedad A

Ethanol withdrawal facilitates the emergence of fear memory resistant to the labilization process after retrieval. Given that negative emotional experiences have a critical role in the maintenance of psychiatric disorders and drug addiction, we examined the emotional sequelae of fear memory recall in ethanol withdrawn (ETOH) rats. Male Wistar rats were made dependent via an ethanol containing liquid diet for 14 days. Contextual fear conditioning was performed on day 3 of withdrawal. Seven days later, rats were tested in the elevated plus maze 30 min after fear retrieval. A significant decrease in the percent of entries and time spent in the open arms was observed only in ETOH rats, suggesting an increase in the anxiety levels induced by fear memory recall in these animals. Next, we evaluated the influence of the fear memory labilization process on this recall-induced anxiogenic-like behavior by pre-retrieval administration of Nimodipine (LVGCC antagonist) in control rats or D-cycloserine (NMDA partial agonist) in ETOH rats. The blockade of memory destabilization induced by nimodipine promoted an anxiogenic-like behavior in control rats. Moreover, the promoting influence on labilization by D-cycloserine reversed the anxiogenic-like behavior induced by fear retrieval in ETOH rats. In conclusion, the fear memory recall promoted an anxiogenic-like behavior only in ETOH rats, and this emotional-like consequence was associated with the resistance to the memory labilization process