title: Ventral tegmental area-basolateral amygdala-nucleus accumbens shell neurocircuitry controls the expression of heroin-conditioned immunomodulation.
abstract: The present investigations sought to determine whether the ventral tegmental area (VTA), basolateral amygdala (BLA), and nucleus accumbens shell (NAC) comprise a circuitry that mediates heroin-induced conditioned immunomodulation. Rats were given conditioning trials in which they received an injection of heroin upon placement into a distinctive environment. Prior to testing, rats received unilateral intra-BLA microinfusion of a D(1) antagonist concomitantly with unilateral intra-NAC shell microinfusion of an NMDA antagonist. Disconnection of the VTA-BLA-NAC circuit impaired the ability of the heroin-paired environment to suppress lipopolysaccharide-induced immune responses, defining for the first time a specific neural circuit involved in conditioned neural-immune interactions.
authors: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Psychology, CB#3270, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3270, USA. jthomson@email.unc.edu
authors: Jennifer L
authors: JL
authors: Szczytkowski
authors: Rita A
authors: RA
authors: Fuchs
authors: Donald T
authors: DT
authors: Lysle
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D003932:Heroin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000276:immunology*; D056747:Immunomodulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D017557:Ventral Tegmental Area / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D003932:Heroin