Prepulse Inhibition (PPI), the objective measure of sensorimotor gating disturbance has being widely used in animal models of schizophrenia. Dopaminergic direct and indirect agonists impair PPI. However, the profile of dopaminergic receptors involved in PPI impairment by dopamine agonists is not clear. By injecting shRNA expressing plasmids against dopamine D2 receptor genes (DRD2) in the nucle...

objective: the nucleus accumbens (nac) receive histaminergic neurons from tuberomammillary nuclei. there are reports indicating that central histamine systems are involved in many physiological behavioral processes, including anxiety. the aim of the present study was to assess whether the histaminergic system of the nac is involved in anxiety-related behaviors. methods:   rats   were   anesthet...

The role of glutamate receptors within the nucleus accumbens in morphine tolerance has been postulated. Previous studies have reported that glutamate receptors exert their effects in part through the release of nitric oxide (NO). In the present study, the effect of intra-accumbal injections of L-arginine, the NO precursor and L-NAME, the NOS inhibitor on the morphine tolerance in Wistar rats (2...

introduction: in this study, the effect of memantine administration into the nucleus accumbens on the metabolic changes induced by acute stress in female mice was evaluated. methods: intra-accumbens unilateral or bilateral canulation was performed. one week after recovery, a group of animals were given memantine (1, 0.5, and 0.1 μg/mouse) five min before stress induction intra-accumbally, and t...

the catastrophic effects of opioids use on public health and the economy are documented clearly in numerous studies. repeated morphine administration can lead to either a decrease (tolerance) or an increase (sensitization) in its behavioral and rewarding effects. morphine-induced sensitization is a major problem and plays an important role in abuse of the opioid drugs. studies reported that mor...

introduction: drugs of abuse such as nicotine and morphine used systemically by addicts produce their effects via the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway. furthermore, evidence indicates that some behavioral effects of nicotine and morphine are mediated by nitric oxide (no). based on these observations, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of intra-nucleus accumbens (nac) inj...

introduction: the role of different parts of the extended amygdala in metabolic signs of stress is not well understood. in the present study, we decided to evaluate the impact of the shell part of nucleus accumbens (nac) on metabolic disturbance induced by electro foot shock stress using transient inactivation method in the rat.  methods: male wistar rats (w: 230-250 g) were canuulated unilater...

glutamatergic system stimulationthe nucleus accumbens shell, may affect anxiety-related behaviors, aversive learning and memory. glutamate receptors are differentially distributed in pre- and postsynaptic sites contributing to neuronal communications.the present study aimed to examine the possible involvement of the nac shell presynaptic nmda receptors on nmda induced responses, using the eleva...