Adrenergic signalling to astrocytes in anterior cingulate cortex contributes to pain-related aversive memory in rats.

ABSTRACT: Pain contains both sensory and affective dimensions. We identify the role of norepinephrine in colorectal distention (sub-threshold for acute pain) induced conditioned place avoidance and plasticity gene expression in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Activating locus coeruleus (LC)-projecting ACC neurons facilitates pain-evoked aversive consolidation and memory, while inhibiting LC-projecting ACC neurons reversibly blocks it. Optogenetic activation of ACC astrocytes facilitates aversive behaviour. ACC astrocytic Gi manipulation suppressed aversive behaviour and early plasticity gene expression induced by opto-activation of LC neurons projecting to ACC. Evidences for the critical role of β2AR in ACC astrocytes were provided using AAV encoding β2AR miRNAi to knockdown β2AR in astrocytes.

SUBMITTER: Iqbal Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9816175 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature