title: D-cycloserine in the basolateral amygdala prevents extinction and enhances reconsolidation of odor-reward associative learning in rats.
abstract: It is well established that D-cycloserine (DCS), a partial agonist of the NMDA receptor glycine site, enhances learning and memory processes. Although the effects of DCS have been especially elucidated in the extinction and reconsolidation of aversive behavioral paradigms or drug-related behaviors, they have not been clearly determined in appetitive tasks using natural reinforcers. The current study examined the effects of pre-retrieval intra-basolateral amygdala (BLA) infusions of DCS on the extinction and reconsolidation of an appetitive odor discrimination task. Rats were trained to discriminate between three odors, one of which was associated with a palatable food reward, and, 20 min prior to extinction learning (experiment 1) or reactivation (experiment 2), they received bilateral intra-BLA infusions of DCS or vehicle. In experiment 1, DCS infusion reduced the rate of extinction learning, weakened extinction retention in a post-extinction test and enhanced reacquisition of the ODT task. In experiment 2, DCS improved subsequent memory expression in the reconsolidation test performed one day after the reactivation session. Such results indicate the involvement of BLA NMDA receptors in odor-food reward associative memory and suggest that DCS may potentiate the persistence or strength of the original memory trace.
authors.affiliation: Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Portero-Tresserra
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martí-Nicolovius
authors.forename: Gemma
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guillazo-Blanch
authors.forename: Pere
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boadas-Vaello
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vale-Martínez
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D001245:Association Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000187:drug effects; D003523:Cycloserine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D005108:Extinction, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D009812:Odorants; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects; D012201:Reward; D012903:Smell / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D003523:Cycloserine