Neuromodulation of neurons of the BNST by norepinephrine

Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN

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Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Drug addiction has become one of the fastest growing and costliest public health concerns facing societies today. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a brain region heavily implicated in the stress-mediated aspects of drug abuse. It receives one of the densest noradrenergic inputs in the brain, which, interestingly, is not homogeneous within the BNST, but rather is subregionally compartmentalized, with ventral (subcommissural) BNST receiving significantly more NE input than dorsal (supracommissural) BNST. Behavioral studies have shown that the NE input to BNST is crucial for morphine-withdrawal induced conditioned place aversion, as well as stress-induced maintenance and reinstatement of drug seeking. This lab has already performed a substantial characterization of BNST neurons using sharp microelectrode intracellular recording techniques. The current research plan proposes to investigate the mechanism of potential neuromodulation of BNST neurons using whole-cell patch clamp and extracellular field recording techniques in an in vitro slice preparation of adult male mouse BNST.