title: Systemic or intra-prelimbic cortex infusion of prazosin impairs fear memory reconsolidation.
abstract: The alpha-1 adrenergic antagonist prazosin has been used to alleviate the symptoms of PTSD, but the mechanism remains unclear. One possibility is that prazosin may disrupt fear memory reconsolidation, leading to attenuation of fear responses. To test this hypothesis, we administered a single systemic injection of prazosin during the reconsolidation of olfactory fear conditioning in rats. We found that a post-retrieval injection of prazosin disrupted subsequent retrieval of fear. Similarly, intra-prelimbic cortex infusion of prazosin during the reconsolidation period also disrupted subsequent retrieval of fear. These findings suggest that fear memory undergoes reconsolidation through activation of alpha-1 adrenergic receptors in the prelimbic cortex.
authors: Departamento de Farmacologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil. fabriciodomonte@gmail.com
authors: Fabricio H
authors: FH
authors: Do Monte
authors: Rimenez R
authors: RR
authors: Souza
authors: Ting T
authors: TT
authors: Wong
authors: Antonio de Padua
authors: Ade P
authors: Carobrez
mesh_terms: D058668:Adrenergic alpha-1 Receptor Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000187:drug effects; D005239:Fear / Q000187:drug effects*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D008845:Microinjections; D011224:Prazosin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D058668:Adrenergic alpha-1 Receptor Antagonists; D011224:Prazosin