title: Basolateral amygdala lesions block diazepam-induced anterograde amnesia in an inhibitory avoidance task.
abstract: This experiment examined the effects of diazepam (DZP) on acquisition and retention of an inhibitory avoidance response by rats with excitotoxic-induced lesions of central (CE), lateral (LAT), or basolateral (BL) amygdala nuclei. Sham-operated and lesioned rats received i.p. injections of DZP (2.0 mg per kg of body weight) 30 min before training in a continuous multiple-trial inhibitory avoidance task. Retention was tested 48 h later. Acquisition was not impaired by the lesions or the DZP. Retention was impaired in animals with CE and LAT lesions in comparison with sham-operated controls. DZP impaired retention in the sham-operated controls as well as CE- and LAT-lesioned animals but did not affect retention in animals with BL lesions. These findings indicate that the DZP-induced anterograde amnesia for inhibitory avoidance training is mediated through influences involving the BL amygdala nucleus.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Psychobiology, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tomaz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dickinson-Anson
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: McGaugh
mesh_terms: D000647:Amnesia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000679:Amygdala / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007051:Ibotenic Acid / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D009928:Organ Specificity; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D007051:Ibotenic Acid; D003975:Diazepam