Introduction: Nucleus accumbens (NAc) plays a critical role in neuronal reward circuits that are responsible for motivated and goal-directed behaviors. Some data suggest that morphine induces apoptosis in neurons, while other evidences show that morphine could have beneficial effects against neuronal cell death. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of morphine on apoptosis in the N...

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, an...

The present study was performed to investigate the role of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and its antagonist CGRP8-37 on nociception in the nucleus accumbens of rats. Hindpaw withdrawal latencies (HWLs) to noxious stimulation induced by hot plate and Randall Selitto tests were measured. The HWL to both thermal and mechanical stimulation increased significantly after intra-nucleus accumb...

J Babol Univ Med Sci; 18(4); Apr 2016; PP: 21-8 Received: Mar 14 2015, Revised: Jun 17 2015, Accepted: Jan 4 2016. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Activity changes in the neurons of nucleus accumbens during stress have been previously identified. However, the role of nucleus accumbens in diminishing stress-induced side-effects is not fully understood. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the ...

A combination of anterograde and retrograde tracing techniques was used to study the projections to the nucleus accumbens from the amygdala, the hippocampal formation (including the entorhinal cortex), and the perirhinal cortex in two species of macaque monkey. To help identify possible subregions within the nucleus accumbens, the distribution of calbindin was examined in two additional monkeys...

Here, we report evidence for oscillatory bi-directional interactions between the nucleus accumbens and the neocortex in humans. Six patients performed a demanding covert visual attention task while we simultaneously recorded brain activity from deep-brain electrodes implanted in the nucleus accumbens and the surface electroencephalogram (EEG). Both theta and alpha oscillations were strongly coh...

Motor activity elicited pharmacologically from the nucleus accumbens by the mu-opioid receptor agonist D-Ala-Tyr-Gly-NMePhe-Gly-OH (DAMGO) is augmented in rats sustaining dopamine depletions. GABAergic projections from the nucleus accumbens to ventral pallidum and ventral tegmental area (VTA) are involved because stimulation of GABAB receptors in the VTA (by baclofen) or GABAA receptors in the ...

AIM To study the changes in the expression and phosphorylation of cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) in the rat nucleus accumbens after chronic ethanol intake and its withdrawal. METHODS Ethanol was given in drinking water at the concentration of 6 % (v/v), for one month. Changes in the levels of CREB and phospho-CREB (p-CREB) protein in the nucleus accumbens were measured by immuno...