1. c-fos expression in the amygdala: in vivo antisense modulation and role in anxiety.
- Author
-
Möller C, Bing O, and Heilig M
- Subjects
- Amygdala drug effects, Animals, Base Sequence, Conflict, Psychological, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone pharmacology, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone physiology, Disease Models, Animal, Drinking Behavior, Electroshock, Genes, fos, Injections, Injections, Intraventricular, Male, Molecular Sequence Data, Nerve Tissue Proteins genetics, Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos genetics, Rats, Rats, Wistar, Water Deprivation, Amygdala metabolism, Anxiety genetics, Gene Expression Regulation, Nerve Tissue Proteins biosynthesis, Oligonucleotides, Antisense pharmacology, Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos biosynthesis
- Abstract
1. The amygdaloid complex is a key structure in mechanisms of fear and anxiety. Expression of the immediate-early gene c-fos has been reported in the central nucleus of the amygdala following various stressors, but the functional role of this phenomenon has remained unknown. 2. c-fos expression was observed in the central nucleus when rats were subjected to a pharmacologically validated animal model of anxiety, the Vogel conflict test, but not after mere exposure to the test apparatus. Bilateral amygdala injection of a 15-mer phosphorothioate c-fos antisense oligodeoxynucleotide prior to testing blocked conflict-induced c-fos expression and had behavioral effects similar to those of established antianxiety drugs. 3. Separate experiments determined that antisense treatment did not affect conflict behavior by acting on shock thresholds or drinking motivation. 4. These findings provide evidence that neuronal activation and c-fos induction in the amygdala may be of importance for mechanisms of fear and anxiety.
- Published
- 1994
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