Preventing adolescent synaptic pruning in mouse prelimbic cortex via local knockdown of α4βδ GABA_A receptors increases anxiety response in adulthood.

ABSTRACT: Anxiety is increasingly reported, especially in adolescent females. The etiology is largely unknown, which limits effective treatment. Layer 5 prelimbic cortex (L5PL) increases anxiety responses but undergoes adolescent synaptic pruning, raising the question of the impact of pruning on anxiety. Here we show that preventing L5PL pruning increases anxiety in response to an aversive event in adolescent and adult female mice. Spine density of Golgi-stained neurons decreased ~ 63% from puberty (~ PND35, vaginal opening) to post-puberty (PND56, P < 0.0001). Expression of α4βδ GABA_A receptors (GABARs) transiently increased tenfold in L5PL at puberty (P < 0.00001), but decreased post-pubertally. Both global and local knockdown of these receptors during puberty prevented pruning, increas

SUBMITTER: Evrard MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8548505 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature