Fig. 7
Inhibition of mPFC inputs to DRN blunts PE-induced anxiety-like behaviors. (A) Schematic of viral injections of rAAV-pgk-Cre in the DRN and AAV-hSyn-DIO-hM4D(Gi)mCherry in the mPFC to express Cre-dependent inhibitory DREADD. (B) Right panel, image of mCherry-labeling indicating DREADD expression in the DRN. Left panel, image of mCherry expression in the mPFC. (C) Voltage response of a layer V mPFC pyramidal neuron to bath application of C21 (10 µM), a DREADD agonist. Note the inhibition of firing activity and hyperpolarization of mCherry-labeled mPFC neuron (11.61 ± 0.5 mV, n = 4). (D) Chemogenetic inhibition of mPFC-DRN circuit inhibits basal anxiety-like behaviors of PC rats in the open field test (OF). (D1) Average total distance traveled of PC rats treated with vehicle (47.13 ± 6.26, n = 10) and C21 (57.21 ± 4.98, n = 10, p = 0.09 vs. VEH) in the OF. (D2) Average number of entries PC rats treated with vehicle (7.9 ± 1.74, n = 10) or C21(: 13.7 ± 2.23, n = 10; p = 0.014 vs. VEH) to the OF inner zone. (D3) Average duration of stay of PC rats treated with vehicle (12.59 ± 3.24, n = 10) or C21(27.73 ± 5.30, n = 10; p = 0.0049 vs. VEH) in the OF inner center. (D4) Movement tracking plots of PC rats treated with vehicle (top) and C21 (bottom) in the OF. (E) Chemogenetic inhibition of mPFC-DRN circuit inhibits basal anxiety-like behaviors of PE rats. (E1) Average total distance traveled of PE rats treated with vehicle (40.45 ± 6.50, n = 9) or C21 (52.54 ± 4.72, n = 9, p = 0.045 vs. VEH) in the open field. (E2) Average number of entries of PE rats injected with vehicle (4 ± 1.33, n = 9) and C21 (10 ± 2.51, n = 9; p = 0.02 vs. VEH) to the OF inner center. (E3) Average duration of stay of PE rats treated with vehicle (7.35 ± 2.71 s, n = 9) or C21 (16.03 ± 4.94 s, n = 9, p = 0.062 vs. VEH) time in the OF inner center. (E4) Movement tracking plots of PE rats treated with vehicle (top) or C21 (bottom). Data are represented as mean ± SEM. *p < 0.05, n.s. not significant.
