Interaction between noradrenergic and cholinergic signaling in amygdala regulates anxiety- and depression-related behaviors in mice.

ABSTRACT: Medications that target the noradrenergic system are important therapeutics for depression and anxiety disorders. More recently, clinical studies have shown that the α2-noradrenergic receptor (α2AR) agonist guanfacine can decrease stress-induced smoking relapse during acute abstinence, suggesting that targeting the noradrenergic system may aid in smoking cessation through effects on stress pathways in the brain. Acetylcholine (ACh), like the nicotine in tobacco, acts at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) to regulate behaviors related to anxiety and depression. We therefore investigated interactions between guanfacine and ACh signaling in tests of anxiolytic and antidepressant efficacy in female and male C57BL/6J mice, focusing on the amygdala as a potential site of noradrenergic/ch

SUBMITTER: Mineur YS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6098039 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature