title: An appetitive experience after fear memory destabilization attenuates fear retention: involvement GluN2B-NMDA receptors in the Basolateral Amygdala Complex.
abstract: It is known that a consolidated memory can return to a labile state and become transiently malleable following reactivation. This instability is followed by a restabilization phase termed reconsolidation. In this work, we explored whether an unrelated appetitive experience (voluntary consumption of diluted sucrose) can affect a contextual fear memory in rats during the reactivation-induced destabilization phase. Our findings show that exposure to an appetitive experience following reactivation can diminish fear retention. This effect persisted after 1 wk. Importantly, it was achieved only under conditions that induced fear memory destabilization. This result could not be explained as a potentiated extinction, because sucrose was unable to promote extinction. Since GluN2B-containing NMDA receptors in the basolateral amygdala complex (BLA) have been implicated in triggering fear memory destabilization, we decided to block pharmacologically these receptors to explore the neurobiological bases of the observed effect. Intra-BLA infusion with ifenprodil, a GluN2B-NMDA antagonist, prevented the fear reduction caused by the appetitive experience. In sum, these results suggest that the expression of a fear memory can be dampened by an unrelated appetitive experience, as long as memory destabilization is achieved during reactivation. Possible mechanisms behind this effect and its clinical implications are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Psicología Experimental, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Enfermera Gordillo y Enrique Barros, Ciudad Universitaria, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: Roque I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Ferrer Monti
authors.affiliation: IFEC-CONICET, Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Haya de la Torre y Medina Allende, Ciudad Universitaria, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giachero
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Psicología Experimental, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Enfermera Gordillo y Enrique Barros, Ciudad Universitaria, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina Department of Psychology, University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Joaquín M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Alfei
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Psicología Experimental, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Enfermera Gordillo y Enrique Barros, Ciudad Universitaria, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: Adrián M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Bueno
authors.affiliation: IFEC-CONICET, Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Haya de la Torre y Medina Allende, Ciudad Universitaria, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cuadra
authors.affiliation: IFEC-CONICET, Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Haya de la Torre y Medina Allende, Ciudad Universitaria, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina vmolina@fcq.unc.edu.ar.
authors.forename: Victor A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Molina
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001070:Appetitive Behavior; D066272:Basolateral Nuclear Complex / Q000502:physiology*; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005239:Fear; D008297:Male; D000069077:Memory Consolidation / Q000502:physiology*; D010880:Piperidines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology*; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; C121001:NR2B NMDA receptor; D010880:Piperidines; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; C010739:ifenprodil