title: Inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinase-extracellular signal-regulated kinase disrupts latent inhibition of cued fear conditioning in C57BL/6 mice.
abstract: The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) cascade has been implicated in a variety of associative conditioning tasks. However, the role of the MAPK-ERK cascades in modulating conditioning is less clear. The authors examined the effect of the potent and selective MAPK-ERK inhibitor SL327 on latent inhibition of cued fear conditioning. The results demonstrate that 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg SL327 disrupt latent inhibition of cued fear conditioning. These data provide evidence for an essential role of the MAPK-ERK cascade in tasks that modulate the strength of associative conditioning. The results are discussed in relation to the molecular mechanisms that support latent inhibition of cued fear conditioning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA.
authors.forename: Michael C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Gould
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D000607:Aminoacetonitrile / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D000818:Animals; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D003463:Cues; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D005239:Fear; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D011480:Protease Inhibitors; C424127:SL 327; D000607:Aminoacetonitrile; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases