title: The effects anandamide signaling in the prelimbic cortex and basolateral amygdala on coping with environmental stimuli in rats.
abstract: Several lines of recent evidence suggest that endocannabinoids affect behavior by influencing the general patterns of challenge responding.
  
  
  
  Here, we investigated the brain mechanisms underlying this phenomenon in rats.
  
  
  
  The anandamide hydrolysis inhibitor URB597 was condensed into the tip of stainless steel cannulae, which were chronically implanted slightly above the prelimbic cortex (PRL) or the basolateral amygdala (BLA), two important regions of coping and endocannabinoid action. Thereafter, we investigated behavioral responsiveness to ambient light level in the elevated plus-maze and conditioned fear tests.
  
  
  
  URB597 concentration was ~30 μg/mg protein in target areas; local brain anandamide levels increased threefold, without significant changes in 2-arachidonoylglycerol. High levels of illumination halved the time spent by controls in the open arms of the plus-maze. No similar decrease was observed in rats with URB597 implants in the PRL. High light decreased conditioned fear by 30 % in controls, but not in rats with prelimbic URB597 implants. Unresponsiveness to environmental challenges was not attributable to the anxiolytic effects of anandamide enhancement, as implants induced paradoxical anxiogenic-like effects under low light, which could be explained by effects on stimulus responsiveness rather than by effects on anxiety. URB597 implants targeting the BLA did not affect stimulus responsiveness.
  
  
  
  Our findings show that elevated prelimbic anandamide signaling leads to less environment-dependent (more autonomous) behavioral responses to challenges, which is an attribute of active coping styles. These findings are discussed in light of two emerging concepts of endocannabinoid roles, particularly "emotional homeostasis" and "active coping."
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1450, Budapest, P.O. Box 67, Hungary.
authors.forename: Mano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aliczki
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1450, Budapest, P.O. Box 67, Hungary.
authors.forename: Istvan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Barna
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1450, Budapest, P.O. Box 67, Hungary.
authors.forename: Ibolya
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Till
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baranyi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sperlagh
authors.affiliation: Preclinical Pharmacology Section, Behavioral Neuroscience Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Steven R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1450, Budapest, P.O. Box 67, Hungary. haller@koki.hu.
authors.forename: Jozsef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haller
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D001095:Arachidonic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D066272:Basolateral Nuclear Complex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D001549:Benzamides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002219:Carbamates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D063388:Endocannabinoids / Q000378:metabolism*; D005989:Glycerides / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D053284:Polyunsaturated Alkamides / Q000378:metabolism*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D001095:Arachidonic Acids; D001549:Benzamides; D002219:Carbamates; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D005989:Glycerides; D053284:Polyunsaturated Alkamides; C500528:cyclohexyl carbamic acid 3'-carbamoylbiphenyl-3-yl ester; C078814:anandamide
keywords: Amygdala; Anandamide; Basolateral amygdala; Coping; Emotional homeostasis; Medial prefrontal cortex; Prelimbic cortex; URB597
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