UNLABELLED Defense is a basic survival mechanism when animals face danger. Previous studies have suggested that the midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) is essential for the generation of defensive reactions. Here we showed that optogenetic activation of neurons in the PAG in mice was sufficient to induce a series of defensive responses (including running, freezing, and avoidance). However, the e...

It is well established that morphine inhibits maternal behaviors. Previous studies by our group have shown activation of the rostrolateral periaqueductal gray (rlPAG) upon inhibition-intended subcutaneous injections of morphine. In this context, we demonstrated that a single naloxone infusion into the rlPAG, following this opioid-induced inhibition, reactivated maternal behaviors. Since these d...

The dorsal and ventral periaqueductal gray (dPAG and vPAG, respectively) are embedded in distinct survival networks that coordinate, respectively, innate and conditioned fear-evoked freezing. However, the information encoded by the PAG during these survival behaviors is poorly understood. Recordings in the dPAG and vPAG in rats revealed differences in neuronal activity associated with the two b...

The mechanism of general anesthesia remains elusive. ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) in the midbrain regulates sleep and awake states. However, role vlPAG its circuits is unclear. We utilized opto/chemogenetics, righting reflex, electroencephalographic recording to assess consciousness changes. employed fiber photometry measure activity neurons neurotransmitters. As a result, showed t...

Objective(s): As heat, pain is one of the most common clinical symptoms. Generally, calcitonin (CT) is prescribed as an analgesic agent for the treatment of pain, especially for the pain caused by osteoporosis or primary and metastatic bone tumor. However, the detailed mechanism remains unknown.Materials and Methods: In this study, chronic constriction injury (CCI) rat model was created, and ho...