Region-specific contribution of the ventral tegmental area to heroin-induced conditioned immunomodulation |
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Affiliation: | 1. Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Farmacia, Campus de Cartuja, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain;2. Departamento de Psicobiologia, Facultad de Psicología, Campus de Cartuja s/n, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain;3. Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience Program, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain |
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Abstract: | Dopamine receptor stimulation is critical for heroin-conditioned immunomodulation; however, it is unclear whether the ventral tegmental area (VTA) contributes to this phenomenon. Hence, rats received repeated pairings of heroin with placement into a distinct environmental context. At test, they were re-exposed to the previously heroin-paired environment followed by systemic lipopolysaccharide treatment to induce an immune response. Bilateral GABA agonist-induced neural inactivation of the anterior, but not the posterior VTA, prior to context re-exposure inhibited the ability of the heroin-paired environment to suppress peripheral nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor-α expression, suggesting a role for the anterior VTA in heroin-conditioned immunomodulation. |
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Keywords: | Ventral tegmental area Heroin Conditioning Nitric oxide TNF-α |
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