Chemogenetic Stimulation and Silencing of the Insula, Amygdala, Nucleus Accumbens, and Their Connections Differentially Modulate Alcohol Drinking in Rats.

ABSTRACT: The anterior insular cortex is hypothesized to represent interoceptive effects of drug reward in the service of goal-directed behavior. The insula is richly connected, but the insula circuitry in addiction remains poorly characterized. We examined the involvement of the anterior insula, amygdala, and nucleus accumbens, as well as the projections of the anterior insula to the central amygdala, basolateral amygdala (BLA), and nucleus accumbens core in voluntary alcohol drinking. We trained alcohol-preferring Alko Alcohol (AA) rats to drink alcohol during intermittent 2-h sessions. We then expressed excitatory or inhibitory designer receptors [designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs)] in the anterior insula, nucleus accumbens, or amygdala by means of adenovirus-med

SUBMITTER: Haaranen M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7671963 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature