Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic, Australia.
Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia.
J Neurochem. 2021 Jun;157(5):1615-1643. doi: 10.1111/jnc.15301. Epub 2021 Feb 3.
The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) is widely implicated as a structure that integrates both appetitive and aversive stimuli. While intrinsic CeA microcircuits primarily consist of GABAergic neurons that regulate amygdala output, a notable feature of the CeA is the heterogeneity of neuropeptides and neuropeptide/neuromodulator receptors that it expresses. There is growing interest in the role of the CeA in mediating psychopathologies, including stress and anxiety states and their interactions with alcohol use disorders. Within the CeA, neuropeptides and neuromodulators often exert pro- or anti- stress actions, which can influence anxiety and alcohol associated behaviours. In turn, alcohol use can cause adaptions within the CeA, which may render an individual more vulnerable to stress which is a major trigger of relapse to alcohol seeking. This review examines the neurocircuitry, neurochemical phenotypes and how pro- and anti-stress peptide systems act within the CeA to regulate anxiety and alcohol seeking, focusing on preclinical observations from animal models. Furthermore, literature exploring the targeting of genetically defined populations or neuronal ensembles and the role of the CeA in mediating sex differences in stress x alcohol interactions are explored.
杏仁中央核（CeA）被广泛认为是整合奖赏和惩罚刺激的结构。虽然 CeA 的内在微电路主要由调节杏仁核输出的 GABA 能神经元组成，但 CeA 的一个显著特征是它表达的神经肽和神经肽/神经调质受体的异质性。CeA 在介导精神病理学中的作用，包括应激和焦虑状态及其与酒精使用障碍的相互作用，引起了越来越多的关注。在 CeA 内，神经肽和神经调质通常发挥促应激或抗应激作用，这可能影响焦虑和与酒精相关的行为。反过来，酒精使用会导致 CeA 内的适应，这可能使个体更容易受到压力的影响，而压力是导致酒精寻求复发的主要诱因。本综述探讨了 CeA 内的神经回路、神经化学表型以及促应激和抗应激肽系统如何调节焦虑和酒精寻求，重点关注动物模型的临床前观察。此外，还探讨了探索靶向遗传定义的群体或神经元集合以及 CeA 在介导应激 x 酒精相互作用中的性别差异的作用的文献。
