Home
Resources
Publications
Biochemical and Behavioral Anxiolytic-Like Effects of R(+)HA-966 at the Level of the Ventral Tegmental Area in Rats

Biochemical and Behavioral Anxiolytic-Like Effects of R(+)HA-966 at the Level of the Ventral Tegmental Area in Rats

B A Morrow, J D Elsworth, C Zito, R H Roth

Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1999 Apr;143(3):227-34.

PMID: 10353424

Abstract:

Rationale:
R(+) HA-966, a weak partial agonist at the glycine/NMDA receptor complex, has been shown to have anxiolytic-like actions on restraint stress-induced mesoprefrontal dopamine metabolism.
Objective:
This study investigates the putative anxiolytic, R(+) HA-966, applied locally at the level of the mesocorticolimbic dopamine cell bodies in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), on the acquisition and expression of conditioned fear.
Methods:
Ten to 14 days after cannula implantation, rats were subjected to the acquisition session (10x5 s tone paired with 0.5 s, 0.8 mA footshock) followed about 24 h later by the expression session (ten tones only) of a conditioned fear protocol. Rats were treated with R(+) HA-966 (15 microg/VTA) or saline before either the acquisition or expression sessions. Other rats were injected with saline or R(+) HA-966 (10 microg/side), intra-medial prefrontal cortex, on the expression day.
Results:
R(+)HA-966, intra-VTA, prevented stress-induced changes in mesoprefrontal, but not mesoaccumbal, dopamine metabolism and was associated with a reduction in fearful responses to physical (footshock) and psychological (conditioned fear) stressors. Additionally, rats treated with R(+)HA-966 intra-VTA before the acquisition session were less fearful at the beginning of the expression session. Local injection of R(+)HA-966 into medial prefrontal cortex did not have anxiolytic-like behavioral or biochemical actions but diminished the expression of exploratory behavior in non-stress, control rats.
Conclusions:
These studies indicate that the stress-induced activation of the mesoprefrontal dopamine neurons is necessary for the normal expression of fearful behaviors.

Chemicals Related in the Paper:

Catalog Number	Product Name	Structure	CAS Number	Price
AP123931044	R(+)-HA-966		123931-04-4	Price

As a specialist in analytical chemical Products, Alfa Chemistry offers consumers a wealth of raw materials and a full range of technologies and services.

QUICK LINKS

HEADQUARTERS

Tel:

Fax:

Email: