Mm. Winnicka, 6-OHDA BILATERAL LESIONS TO THE AMYGDALA ABOLISH THE MEMORY-ENHANCINGEFFECT OF ANGIOTENSIN-II IN RATS, Pharmacological research, 38(1), 1998, pp. 53-58
The involvement of a dopaminergic projection arriving at the central a
mygdala (CA) in angiotensin II (AII) facilitation of affectively motiv
ated memory was investigated in male rats. AII was given intracerebrov
entricularly at a dose of 1 nmol, 15 min before retention testing in a
passive avoidance situation after bilateral 6-OHDA lesions to CA. In
order to protect noradrenergic neurones against destruction by neuroto
xin, 30 min before surgery rats were pre-treated intraperitoneally wit
h 25 mg kg(-1) of desmethylimipramine, an inhibitor of noradrenaline u
ptake. Bilateral 6-OHDA lesions to CA totally abolished the facilitato
ry effect of AII on the retrieval process in a passive avoidance situa
tion, but had no influence on the spontaneous psychomotor activity of
rats. These results suggest that the anatomical substrate facilitating
the retrieval of the information activity of AII is closely related t
o the dopaminergic projection arriving at CA. (C) 1998 The Italian Pha
rmacological Society.