Sk. Sanders et A. Shekhar, REGULATION OF ANXIETY BY GABA(A) RECEPTORS IN THE RAT AMYGDALA, Pharmacology, biochemistry and behavior, 52(4), 1995, pp. 701-706
Blockade of GABAergic inhibition in the region of the anterior basolat
eral amygdala (BLA) of rats elicits physiologic changes associated wit
h a defense reaction. The present study was undertaken to determine wh
ether GABA receptors in the BLA might be involved in regulating experi
mental anxiety using the social interaction (SI) and conflict test. Gu
ide cannulae were stereotaxically implanted bilaterally in the BLA of
rats for intracerebral microinjections. In the BLA, injection of the G
ABA, receptor antagonists bicuculline methiodide (BMI) and picrotoxin
(PIG) produced anxiogenic-like effects in the SI paradigm, as did BMI
injection using the conflict paradigm. Injection of the GABA, agonist
muscimol (MUS) into the central nucleus of the amygdala (Ce) produced
anxiolytic-like effects in the SI test. Microinjection of MUS, baclofe
n (GABA, agonist), 20H-saclofen (GABA, antagonist) or strychnine (glyc
ine antagonist) into the BLA or BMI into the Ce elicited no change in
experimental anxiety as measured by the SI test. These results suggest
that endogenous GABA acts tonically at GABA, receptors in the BLA to
inhibit anxiety responses.