Journal: bioRxiv

Article Title: Circuit directionality for motivation: lateral accumbens-pallidum, but not pallidum-accumbens, connections regulate motivational attraction to reward cues

doi: 10.1101/474387

Figure Lengend Snippet: Each coronal section represents a range of three sections relative to Bregma (B, in mm). Expression for each animal is plotted at 90% transparency and then per-animal expression is overlaid. Sections run anterior (top) to posterior (bottom). A) Expression map of AAV-hSyn-DIO-hM4D(Gi)-mCherry in VP following CAV2-Cre injections in NAcLSh (i.e., VP → NAcLSh inhibition animals; red). B) Expression map of AAV-hSyn-DIO-mCherry in VP (i.e., controls; black).

Article Snippet: The inhibition group received 0.6 µl of AAV-hSyn-DIO-hM4D(Gi)-mCherry (n = 12, AAV5, UNC Vector Core; n = 4, AAV8, Addgene) in the VP and 1.0 µl CAV-Cre or CAV-Cre-GFP in the NAcLSh.

Techniques: Expressing, Inhibition

Journal: Scientific Reports

Article Title: Behavioral and slice electrophysiological assessment of DREADD ligand, deschloroclozapine (DCZ) in rats

doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-10668-0

Figure Lengend Snippet: DCZ-mediated chemogenetic activation elicits selective cFos induction in hM3Dq-expressing Cells. Representative 10 × images of the CeA containing mCherry + ( A ), cFos + ( B ), or mCherry + /cFos + cells ( C ) following injections of 0.1 mg/kg DCZ in male Long-Evans rats expressing hSyn.hM3Dq.mCherry. The quantification of average mCherry + ( D ), cFos + ( E ), and mCherry + /cFos + ( F ) cell counts in saline and DCZ-treated rats are depicted below each image. Compared to saline controls, DCZ-injected rats exhibited significantly more cFos + cells and more mCherry + cells that co-expressed cFos. * p < 0.05; n = 3 rats for the saline group, 4 rats for the DCZ group.

Article Snippet: Rats underwent stereotaxic surgery to inject either an excitatory (AAV8.hSyn.hM3Dq.mCherry; Addgene, catalog # 50,474-AAV8) or inhibitory (AAV8.hSyn.hM4Di.mCherry; Addgene, catalog # 50,475-AAV8) DREADD, or mCherry control virus (AAV8.hSyn.mCherry; Addgene, catalog # 114,472-AAV8) into the central amygdala (AP: 2.2–2.4; ML: 4.2–4.3; DV: 7–6–7–8 from skull surface).

Techniques: Activation Assay, Expressing, Saline, Injection

Journal: Scientific Reports

Article Title: Behavioral and slice electrophysiological assessment of DREADD ligand, deschloroclozapine (DCZ) in rats

doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-10668-0

Figure Lengend Snippet: Slice electrophysiology profile of DCZ and CNO in CeA neurons expressing hM4Di DREADDs. ( A ) Atlas schematic depicting viral expression of hM4Di.mCherry in CeA neurons targeted for slice electrophysiology recordings. ( B ) Left: Concentration–response curve depicting percent inhibition of firing rate in CeA neurons expressing hSyn.hM4Di.mCherry during bath application of varying concentrations of either DCZ or CNO. Right: Representative traces of action potential firing in hM4Di-expressing neurons at baseline (top) or during bath application of 1000 nM DCZ (bottom). Average changes in action potential firing during 1000 nM application of DCZ ( C ) or CNO ( D ) in individual animals. ( E ) Average change in membrane potential from bath application of various drug concentrations * p < 0.05, # p = 0.0549; n = 4–5 rats/group.

Article Snippet: Rats underwent stereotaxic surgery to inject either an excitatory (AAV8.hSyn.hM3Dq.mCherry; Addgene, catalog # 50,474-AAV8) or inhibitory (AAV8.hSyn.hM4Di.mCherry; Addgene, catalog # 50,475-AAV8) DREADD, or mCherry control virus (AAV8.hSyn.mCherry; Addgene, catalog # 114,472-AAV8) into the central amygdala (AP: 2.2–2.4; ML: 4.2–4.3; DV: 7–6–7–8 from skull surface).

Techniques: Expressing, Concentration Assay, Inhibition, Membrane

Journal: Scientific Reports

Article Title: Behavioral and slice electrophysiological assessment of DREADD ligand, deschloroclozapine (DCZ) in rats

doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-10668-0

Figure Lengend Snippet: DCZ-mediated chemogenetic inhibition of the central amygdala reduces dependence ethanol drinking. ( A ) Average 2 h ethanol intake in AIR- and CIE-exposed rats during baseline drinking and 3 sessions of 2BC drinking in the withdrawal drinking phase following CIE exposure. CIE-exposed rats exhibited escalated ethanol intake beginning in session 2, relative to their baseline, and consumed more than AIR controls overall. ( B ) Average 2 h ethanol intake in AIR- and CIE-exposed rats during drug treatment test sessions. CIE-exposed rats continued to exhibit elevated ethanol intake, relative to AIR controls. Further, DCZ (0.1 mg/kg) and CNO (10 mg/kg) treatment reduced ethanol intake in both groups, relative to their vehicle controls. The significant reduction in ethanol intake via DCZ-mediated DREADD inhibition was associated with a significant reduction in blood ethanol levels following 2 h ethanol access ( C ). ( D ) Average 2 h ethanol intake in CIE-exposed rats expressing either hM4Di DREADDs or mCherry control virus. Similar to panel B, DCZ (0.1 mg/kg) reduced ethanol intake only in CIE-exposed rats expressing hM4Di DREADDs. In contrast, the same dose of CNO (0.1 mg/kg) did not alter ethanol intake in either group. * p < 0.05; n = 4 rats for Air, 8 rats for CIE, 6 rats for CIE:hM4Di, 6 rats for CIE:mCherry groups.

Article Snippet: Rats underwent stereotaxic surgery to inject either an excitatory (AAV8.hSyn.hM3Dq.mCherry; Addgene, catalog # 50,474-AAV8) or inhibitory (AAV8.hSyn.hM4Di.mCherry; Addgene, catalog # 50,475-AAV8) DREADD, or mCherry control virus (AAV8.hSyn.mCherry; Addgene, catalog # 114,472-AAV8) into the central amygdala (AP: 2.2–2.4; ML: 4.2–4.3; DV: 7–6–7–8 from skull surface).

Techniques: Inhibition, Expressing, Control, Virus