title: Effect of a positive reinforcing stimulus on fear memory reconsolidation in ethanol withdrawn rats: Influence of d-cycloserine.
abstract: The pharmacological blockade of memory reconsolidation has been suggested as a potential treatment to the attenuation of maladaptive memories associated to psychiatric disorders and drug addiction. To interfere with the process of fear memory reconsolidation using a manipulation safer than pharmacological interventions, here we examined whether a positive reinforcing stimulus (non-alcoholic beer, NB) post-memory retrieval can decrease the fear response in ethanol withdrawn (ETOH) animals. We first evaluated the potential interfering effect of NB on memory reconsolidation in non-ethanol dependent (control, CON) rats. Non-alcoholic beer intake shortly after memory retrieval attenuated the fear response in CON rats. A resistance to destabilization/reconsolidation process was previously observed in ETOH rats, which was reversed by the activation of NMDA receptor induced by pre-retrieval d-cycloserine (DCS) administration. Therefore, the influence of DCS (5mg/kg; i.p.) to facilitate the disruptive effect of NB on fear memory was examined in ETOH animals. As expected, NB was ineffective to attenuate the fear response in ETOH rats, with DCS being necessary to promote the disruptive effect of NB on the reconsolidation in these animals. Hence, DCS/reinforcing stimulus in combination with memory reactivation can be considered as an alternative approach for disrupting resistant fear memories.
authors: IFEC-CONICET, Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.
authors: Vanesa
authors: V
authors: Ortiz
authors: IFEC-CONICET, Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.
authors: Víctor Alejandro
authors: VA
authors: Molina
authors: IFEC-CONICET, Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina. Electronic address: imartije@fcq.unc.edu.ar.
authors: Irene Delia
authors: ID
authors: Martijena
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000963:Antimetabolites / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003523:Cycloserine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005239:Fear; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D000963:Antimetabolites; D000431:Ethanol; D003523:Cycloserine
keywords: Ethanol withdrawal; Fear memory; Positive reinforcing stimulus; Reconsolidation; d-cycloserine