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The Journal of Neuroscience, September 10, 2003, 23(23):8271-8280

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Neurokinin-1 Receptor-Expressing Neurons in the Amygdala Modulate Morphine Reward and Anxiety Behaviors in the Mouse

Christopher A. Gadd,^1 * Patricia Murtra,^1,2 * Carmen De Felipe,² and Stephen P. Hunt¹

¹Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom, and ²Instituto de Neurociencias, Universitas Miguel Hernández, Alicante 03550, Spain

Mice lacking the neurokinin-1 (NK₁) receptor, the preferred receptor for the neuropeptide substance P (SP), do not show many of the behaviors associated with morphine reward. To identify the areas of the brain that might contribute to this effect, we assessed the behavioral effects of ablation of neurons expressing the NK₁ receptor in specific regions of the mouse brain using the neurotoxin substance P-saporin. In a preliminary investigation, bilateral ablation of these neurons from the amygdala, but not the nucleus accumbens and dorsomedial caudate putamen, brought about reductions in morphine reward behavior. Subsequently, the effect of ablation of these neurons in the amygdala on anxiety behavior was assessed using the elevated plus maze (EPM), before conditioned place preference (CPP), and locomotor responses to morphine were measured. Loss of NK₁ receptor-expressing neurons in the amygdala caused an increase in anxiety-like behavior on the EPM. It also brought about a reduction in morphine CPP scores and the stimulant effect of acute morphine administration relative to saline controls, without affecting CPP to cocaine. NK₁ receptor-expressing neurons in the mouse amygdala therefore modulate morphine reward behaviors. These observations mirror those observed in NK₁ receptor knock-out (NK₁^-/-) mice and suggest that the amygdala is an important area for the effects of SP and the NK₁ receptor in the motivational properties of opiates, as well as the control of behaviors related to anxiety.

Key words: neurokinin-1 receptor; substance P; substance P-saporin; morphine; reward; conditioned place preference; anxiety; elevated plus maze; amygdala; nucleus accumbens

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Received May 1, 2003; revised June 17, 2003; accepted June 21, 2003.

This article has been cited by other articles:

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