-Adrenoceptor Activation is Required for Ethanol Enhancement of Lateral Paracapsular GABAergic Synapses in the Rat Basolateral Amygdala

β1-adrenoceptor activation is required for ethanol enhancement of lateral paracapsular GABAergic synapses in the rat basolateral amygdala.

Ethanol (EtOH) potentiation of GABAergic neurotransmission in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) may contribute to the acute anxiolytic effects of this drug. Previous studies have shown that BLA pyramidal neurons receive GABAergic input from two distinct sources: local interneurons and a cluster of GABAergic cells termed lateral paracapsular (LPCS) interneurons. It is noteworthy that whereas EtOH e...

Distinct mechanisms of ethanol potentiation of local and paracapsular GABAergic synapses in the rat basolateral amygdala.

Converging lines of behavioral and pharmacological evidence suggest that GABAergic synapses in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) may play an integral role in mediating the anxiolytic effects of ethanol (EtOH). Since anxiety is thought to play an important role in the development of, and relapse to, alcoholism, elucidating the mechanisms through which EtOH modulates GABAergic synaptic transmission ...

Chronic Ethanol and Withdrawal Differentially Modulate Basolateral Amygdala Paracapsular and Local GABAergic Synapses

Chronic ethanol and withdrawal differentially modulate lateral/basolateral amygdala paracapsular and local GABAergic synapses.

Withdrawal-related anxiety is cited as a major contributor to relapse in recovering alcoholics. Changes in lateral/basolateral amygdala (BLA) neurotransmission could directly influence anxiety-like behaviors after chronic ethanol exposure and withdrawal. We have shown that these treatments enhance BLA glutamatergic function and neurotransmission. However, the BLA GABAergic system tightly contro...

A Specialized Subclass of Interneurons Mediates Dopaminergic Facilitation of Amygdala Function

The amygdala is under inhibitory control from the cortex through the activation of local GABAergic interneurons. This inhibition is greatly diminished during heightened emotional states due to dopamine release. However, dopamine excites most amygdala interneurons, suggesting that this dopaminergic gate may be mediated by an unknown subpopulation of interneurons. We hypothesized that this gate i...