title: Nicotine modulates the long-lasting storage of fear memory.
abstract: Late post-training activation of the ventral tegmental area (VTA)-hippocampus dopaminergic loop controls the entry of information into long-term memory (LTM). Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) modulate VTA function, but their involvement in LTM storage is unknown. Using pharmacological and behavioral tools, we found that α7-nAChR-mediated cholinergic interactions between the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus and the medial prefrontal cortex modulate the duration of fear-motivated memories, maybe by regulating the activation state of VTA-hippocampus dopamine connections.
authors: Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, Biomedical Research Institute, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre 90610-000, Brazil.
authors: Ramón H
authors: RH
authors: Lima
authors: Andressa
authors: A
authors: Radiske
authors: Cristiano A
authors: CA
authors: Köhler
authors: Maria Carolina
authors: MC
authors: Gonzalez
authors: Lia R
authors: LR
authors: Bevilaqua
authors: Janine I
authors: JI
authors: Rossato
authors: Jorge H
authors: JH
authors: Medina
authors: Martín
authors: M
authors: Cammarota
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology; D004597:Electroshock; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D057567:Memory, Long-Term / Q000187:drug effects*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000187:drug effects; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000502:physiology; D017557:Ventral Tegmental Area / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D064569:alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor
chemical_list: C579165:Chrna7 protein, rat; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D064569:alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor; D009538:Nicotine; D004298:Dopamine