Post-training intra-basolateral amygdala infusions of norepinephrine enhance consolidation of memory for contextual fear conditioning.
Post-training infusions of drugs, including noradrenergic agonists and antagonists, into the basolateral amygdala (BLA) influence the consolidation of memory for training in several tasks, including inhibitory avoidance. There is, however, conflicting evidence concerning whether post-training intra-BLA drug infusions modulate the consolidation of contextual fear conditioning (CFC). In the present study, norepinephrine (NE) was infused bilaterally into the BLA of male Sprague Dawley rats immediately after training on two CFC tasks: a Y-maze and a straight alley. Post-training intra-BLA infusions enhanced memory of CFC training in the Y-maze, as assessed by percentage of time spent freezing and shock arm entrance latencies. Post-training intra-BLA infusions of NE enhanced 48 hr retention of CFC training in the straight alley, as assessed by shock compartment entrance latencies and the number of shocks required to learn to avoid entering the shock compartment. These findings indicate that the consolidation of memory for CFC, like that for inhibitory avoidance training, is influenced by post-training neuromodulatory influences within the BLA. Thus, the findings provide additional evidence consistent with the hypothesis that the BLA has a general role in modulating memory consolidation.
LaLumiere
Ryan T
RT
Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory and Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697-3800, USA. rlalumie@uci.edu
Buen
Thea-Vanessa
TV
McGaugh
James L
JL
D000679:Amygdala / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D004333:Drug Administration Routes; D004597:Electroshock; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
D009638:Norepinephrine