Del Arco Alberto, Mora Francisco
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.
J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2009 Aug;116(8):941-52. doi: 10.1007/s00702-009-0243-8. Epub 2009 May 28.
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) efferent projections to limbic areas facilitate a top-down control on the execution of goal-directed behaviours. The PFC sends glutamatergic outputs to limbic areas such as the hippocampus and amygdala which in turn modulate the activity of the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Dopamine and acetylcholine neurons in the brainstem and basal forebrain/septal areas, which send outputs to NAc, hippocampus and amygdala, are also regulated by PFC glutamatergic projections, and seem to be of special relevance in modulating motor, emotional and mnemonic functions. Both the physiological and pathological changes in the PFC influence the activity of these limbic areas and the corresponding final-guided behaviours. We revise our most recent studies on PFC-NAc interactions focussed on the role of dopamine and glutamate receptors in the PFC. Specifically, by performing microinjections/microdialysis studies we found that the activation of D2 dopamine receptors and the blockade of glutamate NMDA receptors in the PFC change the release of dopamine and acetylcholine in the NAc. We suggest the possibility that dopamine and glutamate receptors in the PFC could change the activity of dopamine and acetylcholine function in the hippocampus and amygdala. Finally, it is speculated that changes in the function of the PFC, associated with psychiatric disorders or due to environmental-dependent plasticity, can change PFC-limbic system interactions.
前额叶皮质（PFC）向边缘区域的传出投射有助于对目标导向行为的执行进行自上而下的控制。PFC向海马体和杏仁核等边缘区域发送谷氨酸能输出，进而调节伏隔核（NAc）的活动。脑干以及基底前脑/隔区中的多巴胺能神经元和胆碱能神经元向NAc、海马体和杏仁核发送输出，它们也受PFC谷氨酸能投射的调节，并且在调节运动、情绪和记忆功能方面似乎具有特殊意义。PFC的生理和病理变化都会影响这些边缘区域的活动以及相应的最终导向行为。我们回顾了我们最近关于PFC-NAc相互作用的研究，重点关注多巴胺和谷氨酸受体在PFC中的作用。具体而言，通过进行微量注射/微透析研究，我们发现PFC中D2多巴胺受体的激活以及谷氨酸NMDA受体的阻断会改变NAc中多巴胺和乙酰胆碱的释放。我们提出PFC中的多巴胺和谷氨酸受体可能会改变海马体和杏仁核中多巴胺和乙酰胆碱功能的活性这一可能性。最后，据推测，与精神疾病相关或由于环境依赖性可塑性导致的PFC功能变化会改变PFC-边缘系统的相互作用。
