Role of basolateral amygdala dopamine in modulating prepulse inhibition and latent inhibition in the rat

• Published in: Psychopharmacologia Vol. 176; no. 2; pp. 139 - 145
• Main Authors: STEVENSON, C. W, GRATTON, Alain
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 01.11.2004; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Amygdala - drug effects; Amygdala - physiology; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Dopamine - physiology; Dopamine Antagonists - pharmacology; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Male; Medical sciences; Neural Inhibition - drug effects; Neural Inhibition - physiology; Neuropharmacology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Rats; Rats, Long-Evans; Receptors, Dopamine - physiology; Reflex, Startle - drug effects; Reflex, Startle - physiology; Conditioned taste aversion; Amygdala; Rat; Neuroleptic; D3 Dopamine receptor; SCH 23390; Acquisition process; Acoustic startle response; Gating; Amygdaloid nucleus; Raclopride; Dopamine; D1 receptor; Dopamine antagonist; Rodentia; D1 Dopamine receptor; Catecholamine; D2/D3 receptor; Sensorimotor gating; Vertebrata; Mammalia; D2 Dopamine receptor; Animal; Neurotransmitter; Perception; Taste; Conditioned aversion; Latent inhibition; Prepulse inhibition
• ISSN: 0033-3158; 1432-2072
• DOI: 10.1007/s00213-004-1879-6

The dopamine (DA) projection to the basolateral amygdala (BLA) modulates nucleus accumbens (NAc) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) DA transmission. Given the involvement of the BLA, and of NAc and mPFC DA, in select forms of information processing, we sought to determine the role of BLA DA in modulating prepulse inhibition (PPI) and latent inhibition (LI). The effects of BLA D1 (SCH 23390) and D2/D3 (raclopride) receptor blockade on PPI and LI were examined. Separate groups of male Long-Evans rats received bilateral intra-BLA infusions of SCH 23390 (3.2 or 6.4 microg/0.5 microl per side), raclopride (2.5 or 5.0 microg/0.5 microl per side) or saline prior to testing. In two experiments, the effects of BLA DA receptor antagonism on PPI of the acoustic startle response (ASR) and LI of conditioned taste aversion were determined. A control group received bilateral intra-striatal infusions of SCH 23390 or raclopride prior to PPI testing. Intra-BLA SCH 23390 or raclopride had no effect on the ASR. Intra-BLA SCH 23390 enhanced and raclopride disrupted PPI, both in a dose-related manner. Intra-striatal SCH 23390 or raclopride had no effect on PPI or ASR magnitude. Finally, BLA DA receptor blockade had no effect on LI. These results indicate that PPI is modulated by BLA DA and suggest that this modulation occurs independently of changes in NAc and/or mPFC DA transmission. They also suggest that BLA DA is not involved in modulating LI and add to evidence indicating that PPI and LI are mediated by different neural substrates.