TITLE:
Differential Effect of Unilateral Amygdalar GABAA Receptor Agonist Injection on Low- and High-Anxiety Rats
AUTHORS:
Maria P. Rysakova, Irina V. Pavlova
KEYWORDS:
Anxiety, Basolateral Amygdala, GABAA Receptor, Muscimol Hydrobromide, Hemispheric Lateralization
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science,
Vol.6 No.1,
January
15,
2016
ABSTRACT: The influence of γ-aminobutyric type-A (GABAA) receptors agonist (muscimol hydrobromide,
0.1 μg/0.5 μl) injections into the right or left basolateral amygdala (BLA) on the
behavior of high-anxiety (HA) and low-anxiety (LA) rats subjected to the elevated
plus-maze (EPM) test was investigated. Anxiolytic-like effects (increase of open-arm
entries and open-arm time) was revealed only after administration of muscimol into
the left (but not right) amygdala of HA animals. No effect was observed upon administration of muscimol to LA rats.
These findings suggest an important role in anxiety regulation of the amygdalar
GABA levels, and the assumed GABA hemispheric lateralization.