Acupuncture modulates the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system; an area implicated in drug abuse. However, the mechanism by which peripheral sensory afferents, during acupuncture stimulation, modulate this system needs further investigation. The lateral hypothalamus (LH) has been implicated in reward processing and addictive behaviors. To investigate the role of the LH in mediating acupuncture effects, we evaluated the role of LH and spinohypothalamic neurons on cocaine-induced psychomotor activity and NAc DA release. Systemic injection of cocaine increased locomotor activity and 50 kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), which were attenuated by mechanical stimulation of needles inserted into HT7 but neither ST36 nor LI5. The acupuncture effects were blocked by chemical lesions of the LH or mimicked by activation of LH neurons. Single-unit extracellular recordings showed excitation of LH and spinohypothalamic neurons following acupuncture. Our results suggest that acupuncture recruits the LH to suppress the mesolimbic DA system and psychomotor responses following cocaine injection.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms22115994 | DOI Listing |
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Center for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
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School of Medicine, Southeast University, 87 Dingjiaqiao Road, Nanjing, PR China; The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Ministry of Education, The School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, 2 Sipailou Road, Nanjing, PR China. Electronic address:
Social isolation profoundly impacts motivated behavior and neural plasticity. While the effects of acute and chronic social isolation have been extensively studied, the consequences of intermittent isolation during adulthood, particularly relevant to modern lifestyles, remain poorly understood. This study investigated the impact of intermittent social isolation (ISI) on social behavior and brain activation in adult male mice.
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Department of Special Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266000, China. Electronic address:
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