title: Amygdala inputs drive feedforward inhibition in the medial prefrontal cortex.
abstract: Although interactions between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex (PFC) are critical for emotional guidance of behavior, the manner in which amygdala affects PFC function is not clear. Whereas basolateral amygdala (BLA) output neurons exhibit many characteristics associated with excitatory neurotransmission, BLA stimulation typically inhibits PFC cell firing. This apparent discrepancy could be explained if local PFC inhibitory interneurons were activated by BLA inputs. Here, we used in vivo juxtacellular and intracellular recordings in anesthetized rats to investigate whether BLA inputs evoke feedforward inhibition in the PFC. Juxtacellular recordings revealed that BLA stimulation evoked action potentials in PFC interneurons and silenced most pyramidal neurons. Intracellular recordings from PFC pyramidal neurons showed depolarizing postsynaptic potentials, with multiple components evoked by BLA stimulation. These responses exhibited a relatively negative reversal potential (Erev), suggesting the contribution of a chloride component. Intracellular administration or pressure ejection of the GABA-A antagonist picrotoxin resulted in action-potential firing during the BLA-evoked response, which had a more depolarized Erev. These results suggest that BLA stimulation engages a powerful inhibitory mechanism within the PFC mediated by local circuit interneurons.
authors: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA.
authors: Jonathan
authors: J
authors: Dilgen
authors: Hugo A
authors: HA
authors: Tejeda
authors: Patricio
authors: P
authors: O'Donnell
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D007395:Interneurons / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology*; D009434:Neural Pathways; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
keywords: GABA; electrophysiology; fast-spiking interneuron; in vivo intracellular recording; parvalbumin
references: Cereb Cortex. 2008 Jul;18(7):1529-35
references: 17971342
references: Neuroscience. 2006;139(3):1039-48
references: 16527423
references: Neurosci Res. 1988 Oct;6(1):72-5
references: 3264396
references: J Neurophysiol. 2011 Aug;106(2):960-73
references: 21613584
references: J Comp Neurol. 1982 Jul 10;208(4):401-18
references: 7119168
references: Cereb Cortex. 2000 Dec;10(12):1168-75
references: 11073866
references: J Physiol. 1985 Mar;360:367-86
references: 2580971
references: J Neurosci. 1999 Jul 1;19(13):5473-81
references: 10377356
references: J Comp Neurol. 1996 Feb 12;365(3):367-79
references: 8822176
references: J Neurosci. 2005 Aug 24;25(34):7763-70
references: 16120777
references: J Neurosci Methods. 2006 Mar 15;151(2):148-58
references: 16154203
references: J Neurosci. 2009 Apr 22;29(16):5251-9
references: 19386921
references: J Neurosci. 2010 Feb 17;30(7):2464-71
references: 20164330
references: J Neurosci. 2000 May 15;20(10):3864-73
references: 10804226
references: Synapse. 1994 Jun;17(2):101-14
references: 7916489
references: J Neurosci. 2003 Sep 24;23(25):8800-7
references: 14507980
references: Brain Res. 1996 May 13;720(1-2):211-9
references: 8782914
references: J Neurosci. 1993 Dec;13(12):5312-23
references: 8254377
references: J Neurosci. 2010 Apr 14;30(15):5451-64
references: 20392966
references: PLoS One. 2009;4(4):e5062
references: 19352511
references: J Comp Neurol. 2002 May 6;446(3):199-218
references: 11932937
references: Neurosci Lett. 1994 Apr 11;170(2):255-60
references: 7520140
references: Science. 2003 Jul 11;301(5630):229-32
references: 12855813
references: J Neurosci. 2003 Nov 5;23(31):9987-95
references: 14602812
references: J Neurosci. 2010 Jan 6;30(1):116-25
references: 20053894
references: J Neurosci. 2005 Apr 13;25(15):3857-69
references: 15829638
references: J Neurosci. 2007 Feb 21;27(8):2045-57
references: 17314300
references: Cell Mol Neurobiol. 1991 Jun;11(3):333-46
references: 1651163
references: Brain Res. 1991 Nov 8;564(1):97-101
references: 1777825
references: Mol Cell Neurosci. 2006 Sep;33(1):57-67
references: 16861000
references: Science. 1997 Mar 14;275(5306):1593-9
references: 9054347