Corticosterone controls the developmental emergence of fear and amygdala function to predator odors in infant rat pups

International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the International Society for Developmental Neuroscience
Stephanie MoriceauRegina M Sullivan

Abstract

In many altricial species, fear responses such as freezing do not emerge until sometime later in development. In infant rats, fear to natural predator odors emerges around postnatal day (PN) 10 when infant rats begin walking. The behavioral emergence of fear is correlated with two physiological events: functional emergence of the amygdala and increasing corticosterone (CORT) levels. Here, we hypothesize that increasing corticosterone levels influence amygdala activity to permit the emergence of fear expression. We assessed the relationship between fear expression (immobility similar to freezing), amygdala function (c-fos) and the level of corticosterone in pups in response to presentation of novel male odor (predator), littermate odor and no odor. CORT levels were increased in PN8 pups (no fear, normally low CORT) by exogenous CORT (3 mg/kg) and decreased in PN12 pups (express fear, CORT levels higher) through adrenalectomy and CORT replacement. Results showed that PN8 expression of fear to a predator odor and basolateral/lateral amygdala activity could be prematurely evoked with exogenous CORT, while adrenalectomy in PN12 pups prevented both fear expression and amygdala activation. These results suggest that low neonatal CORT ...Continue Reading

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Citations

Sep 11, 2013·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Dylan G GeeNim Tottenham
Nov 15, 2006·Learning & Memory·Kiseko ShionoyaRegina M Sullivan
May 11, 2012·Developmental Neuroscience·Margo S Landers, Regina M Sullivan
Dec 18, 2009·The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience·Stephanie MoriceauRegina M Sullivan
Nov 10, 2014·Brain Structure & Function·Steven J RyanDonald G Rainnie
Oct 1, 2015·Genes, Brain, and Behavior·D E Ehrlich, S A Josselyn
Nov 5, 2011·Behavioural Brain Research·Andrey P KozlovNorman E Spear
Dec 15, 2010·The Journal of Pain : Official Journal of the American Pain Society·Gordon A Barr
Aug 4, 2010·Behavioural Brain Research·Avijit Banik, Akshay Anand
Nov 26, 2009·Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews·Regina M Sullivan, Parker J Holman
Jul 28, 2009·Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews·Melly S OitzlE Ronald de Kloet
Oct 9, 2008·Neurobiology of Learning and Memory·Theofanis PanagiotaropoulosFotini Stylianopoulou
Oct 27, 2015·Frontiers in Neuroscience·Kazumi OsadaMakoto Kashiwayanagi
Oct 28, 2005·Developmental Psychobiology·Stephanie Moriceau, Regina M Sullivan
Sep 10, 2009·Hippocampus·Charlis RainekiRegina M Sullivan
Jun 21, 2012·Developmental Psychobiology·Nim Tottenham
Aug 24, 2010·Developmental Psychobiology·Stephanie MoriceauRegina M Sullivan
Apr 24, 2012·The Journal of Comparative Neurology·Loïc J ChareyronPierre Lavenex
Jan 18, 2014·Developmental Psychobiology·María J ZuluagaAnnabel Ferreira
Feb 18, 2014·British Journal of Pharmacology·Despina E Ganella, Jee Hyun Kim
Aug 27, 2005·Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews·E R Ribeiro-BarbosaD C Blanchard
Aug 13, 2005·Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews·Lorey K TakahashiKendra Watanabe
Jul 22, 2015·Neuropsychopharmacology : Official Publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology·Bridget L Callaghan, Nim Tottenham
Feb 19, 2013·Current Opinion in Neurobiology·Lisa StowersJason A Keller
Dec 30, 2014·Physiology & Behavior·Giselle V KamenetzkyMichael E Nizhnikov
Jan 11, 2011·Behavioural Processes·Patricia A Kabitzke, Christoph P Wiedenmayer
Apr 9, 2014·Frontiers in Endocrinology·Millie Rincón-Cortés, Regina M Sullivan
Oct 22, 2016·Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews·Nim Tottenham, Adriana Galván
Aug 30, 2016·Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior·Sara L Stockman, Margaret M McCarthy
Nov 9, 2016·Neurobiology of Learning and Memory·Jacek Debiec, Regina M Sullivan

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