title: Role of oxytocin receptors in modulation of fear by social memory.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oxytocin receptors (Oxtr) are important mediators of social learning and emotion, with bidirectional effects on fear and anxiety. Contrary to the anxiolytic actions of Oxtr in the amygdala, we recently showed that Oxtr in the lateral septum mediate the enhancement of fear conditioning by social defeat in mice.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Using positive social interactions, which impair fear conditioning, here we attempted to delineate whether the role of septal Oxtr in fear regulation depends on the valence of the social memory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pharmacological and genetic manipulations of lateral septal Oxtr were combined with the social buffering of fear paradigm, in which pre-exposure to nonfearful conspecifics reduces subsequent contextual fear conditioning, as revealed by decreased freezing behavior.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Antagonism and down-regulation of Oxtr in the lateral septum abolished, while oxytocin (Oxt) administration before pre-exposure to nonfearful conspecifics facilitated the decrease of freezing behavior.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The septal oxytocin system enhances memory of social interactions regardless of their valence, reducing fear after positive and enhancing fear after negative social encounters. These findings explain, at least in part, the seemingly bidirectional role of Oxt in fear regulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Yomayra F
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Guzmán
authors.forename: Natalie C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Tronson
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mesic
authors.forename: Anita L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Guedea
authors.forename: Katsuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishimori
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Radulovic
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005239:Fear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018045:Receptors, Oxytocin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012919:Social Behavior
chemical_list: D018045:Receptors, Oxytocin; C509322:oxytocin, d(CH2)5(1)-Tyr(OMe)(2)-Orn(8)-; D010121:Oxytocin