title: Hypoexpression of benzodiazepine receptors in the amygdala of neophobic BALB/c mice compared to C57BL/6 mice.
abstract: The distribution of benzodiazepine receptors in the brain of neophobic BALB/c mice was studied by autoradiographic analysis using [3H]-diazepam and compared to that of the same receptors of the "nonemotional" C57BL/6 mice. This technique revealed no significant interstrain difference except for a lower density of diazepam binding sites in the amygdala of BALB/c mice. Therefore, the expression of benzodiazepine receptors in the amygdala of the two strains of mice were quantified by binding studies on brain membranes. The amygdala of BALB/c mice exhibited a fivefold decrease in the density of benzodiazepine receptors compared to C57BL/6 mice. These results suggest that the trait anxiety (neophobia) that characterizes BALB/c mice could be due, at least in part, to a genetic modulation of benzodiazepine receptor expression in the amygdala, a structure known to be strongly involved in fear behavior.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Chimie Biologique et UPR 416 CNRS, Faculté de Médecine, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hode
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ratomponirina
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gobaille
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maitre
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kopp
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Misslin
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003975:Diazepam / Q000378:metabolism; D005239:Fear; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000032:analysis*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D003975:Diazepam