Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
The First Rehabilitation Hospital of Shanghai, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Elife. 2022 Feb 15;11:e68372. doi: 10.7554/eLife.68372.
Long-lasting negative affections dampen enthusiasm for life, and dealing with negative affective states is essential for individual survival. The parabrachial nucleus (PBN) and thalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVT) are critical for modulating affective states in mice. However, the functional roles of PBN-PVT projections in modulating affective states remain elusive. Here, we show that PBN neurons send dense projection fibers to the PVT and form direct excitatory synapses with PVT neurons. Activation of the PBN-PVT pathway induces robust behaviors associated with negative affective states without affecting nociceptive behaviors. Inhibition of the PBN-PVT pathway reduces aversion-like and fear-like behaviors. Furthermore, the PVT neurons innervated by the PBN are activated by aversive stimulation, and activation of PBN-PVT projections enhances the neuronal activity of PVT neurons in response to the aversive stimulus. Consistently, activation of PVT neurons that received PBN-PVT projections induces anxiety-like behaviors. Thus, our study indicates that PBN-PVT projections modulate negative affective states in mice.
持久的负面情绪会削弱对生活的热情，而处理负面情绪状态对于个体的生存至关重要。臂旁核（PBN）和丘脑室旁核（PVT）对于调节小鼠的情绪状态至关重要。然而，PBN-PVT 投射在调节情绪状态方面的功能作用仍不清楚。在这里，我们发现 PBN 神经元向 PVT 发出密集的投射纤维，并与 PVT 神经元形成直接的兴奋性突触。激活 PBN-PVT 通路会引起与负面情绪状态相关的强烈行为，而不会影响伤害感受行为。抑制 PBN-PVT 通路会减少厌恶样和恐惧样行为。此外，PBN 支配的 PVT 神经元被厌恶刺激激活，而 PBN-PVT 投射的激活增强了 PVT 神经元对厌恶刺激的反应性神经元活动。一致地，激活接收 PBN-PVT 投射的 PVT 神经元会引起焦虑样行为。因此，我们的研究表明，PBN-PVT 投射调节小鼠的负面情绪状态。
