Duncan G E, Knapp D J, Breese G R
Brain and Development Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 27599, USA.
Brain Res. 1996 Mar 25;713(1-2):79-91. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(95)01486-1.
Immunohistochemical staining for Fos-like immunoreactivity (Fos-LI) was used to map functional activation in discrete brain regions of rats processed in three empirical models of anxiety: foot shock avoidance responding in a shuttle box, the elevated plus maze, and an air puff-induced ultrasonic vocalization test. The avoidance test and elevated plus maze induced prominent Fos-LI in select brain regions, including the medial prefrontal, cingulate, and ventrolateral orbital cortices, taenia tecta, nucleus accumbens, paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, medial nucleus of the amygdala and lateral septum. Air puff stimuli that produced ultrasonic vocalizations induced Fos-LI to a more limited extent compared to the plus maze and avoidance test, with only the medial prefrontal cortex, medial nucleus of the amygdala, and lateral septum being significantly affected by air-puff. Even though the sensory stimuli and environmental conditions associated with the three anxiety models were markedly different, specific common forebrain regions were affected, i.e. the medial prefrontal cortex, medial amygdala, and lateral septum. It is hypothesized that these regions are components of a circuit in the rat brain related to anxiety or distress. To determine the potential relationship between generalized arousal and the observed induction of Fos-LI in the anxiety models, rats were tested in a non-aversive situation involving marked behavioral activation. Accordingly, after vigorous bar pressing behavior for reinforcement with sweetened condensed milk, induction of Fos-LI was minimal and comparable to that in unhandled control rats. These latter data indicate that the distinctive neuroanatomical patterns of Fos-LI observed in the paradigms related to anxiety were not simply due to generalized behavioral activation. In summary, select common brain regions were identified that express Fos-LI in empirical models of anxiety. These data provide a functional framework to explore neuroanatomical sites of action of psychotherapeutic drugs that influence behavioral responses in these tasks.
采用免疫组织化学染色法检测Fos样免疫反应性（Fos-LI），以绘制在三种焦虑实验模型中处理的大鼠离散脑区的功能激活图谱：穿梭箱中的足部电击回避反应、高架十字迷宫和吹气诱发的超声波发声测试。回避测试和高架十字迷宫在特定脑区诱导出显著的Fos-LI，包括内侧前额叶、扣带回和腹外侧眶额皮质、带状终纹、伏隔核、下丘脑室旁核、杏仁核内侧核和外侧隔核。与高架十字迷宫和回避测试相比，产生超声波发声的吹气刺激诱导Fos-LI的程度更有限，只有内侧前额叶皮质、杏仁核内侧核和外侧隔核受到吹气的显著影响。尽管与这三种焦虑模型相关的感觉刺激和环境条件明显不同，但特定的共同前脑区域受到影响，即内侧前额叶皮质、杏仁核内侧核和外侧隔核。据推测，这些区域是大鼠大脑中与焦虑或痛苦相关的回路的组成部分。为了确定在焦虑模型中观察到的Fos-LI诱导与全身性觉醒之间的潜在关系，在涉及明显行为激活的非厌恶情境中对大鼠进行测试。因此，在用甜炼乳强化进行剧烈压杆行为后，Fos-LI的诱导最小，与未处理的对照大鼠相当。这些数据表明，在与焦虑相关的范式中观察到的Fos-LI独特的神经解剖学模式并非仅仅由于全身性行为激活。总之，在焦虑实验模型中确定了表达Fos-LI的特定共同脑区。这些数据提供了一个功能框架，以探索影响这些任务中行为反应的心理治疗药物的神经解剖作用部位。
