A Basal Forebrain Site Coordinates the Modulation of Endocrine and Behavioral Stress Responses via Divergent Neural Pathways.

ABSTRACT:

Unlabelled

The bed nuclei of the stria terminalis (BST) are critically important for integrating stress-related signals between the limbic forebrain and hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) effector neurons in the paraventricular hypothalamus (PVH). Nevertheless, the circuitry underlying BST control over the stress axis and its role in depression-related behaviors has remained obscure. Utilizing optogenetic approaches in rats, we have identified a novel role for the anteroventral subdivision of BST in the coordinated inhibition of both HPA output and passive coping behaviors during acute inescapable (tail suspension, TS) stress. Follow-up experiments probed axonal pathways emanating from the anteroventral BST which accounted for separable endocrine and behavioral functions subserved

SUBMITTER: Johnson SB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4987438 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature