Expression of CPP was paralleled by significant increases in the expression of Fos in the anterior cingulate cortex, the lateral caudate putamen, the shell of the nucleus accumbens, the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, the basolateral and central nuclei of amygdala, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and the ventral tegmental area. In contrast, EE mice showed levels of expression of FOS similar to control groups. These results demonstrate that EE can eliminate context-induced cocaine seeking and that this effect appears
associated with a general reduction in the activation of several brain regions implicated in relapse. (C) 2011 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights FAK inhibitor reserved.”
“In humans, high levels of anxiety are associated with poor performance in the
Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). The IGT measures decision-making under conditions of uncertainty. In this study, we investigated the association between anxiety and decision-making in rats. Rats were screened for anxiety on the elevated plus maze (EPM) and subsequently tested in a rat analogue of the IGT (r-IGT). We explored the role of frontostriatal areas related to r-IGT performance P5091 chemical structure using c-fos immunohistochemistry following the last training-session. High levels of anxiety were associated with poor r-IGT performance: high anxious rats made fewer choices for the advantageous option and collected fewer sucrose pellets in the r-IGT than low anxious rats. Analysis of win-stay/lose-shift behaviour of choices for the advantageous option revealed that good performing-low anxious subjects showed an increase in win-stays and a decrease in lose-shifts across trial blocks while poor performing-high
anxious subjects did not. Furthermore, decision-making performance and, indirectly, anxiety levels were related to neural activity in parts of the medial prefrontal cortex, that is prelimbic and infralimbic cortex, and in parts of the striatum, that is nucleus accumbens shell Dipeptidyl peptidase and core. These data suggest a similar frontostriatal circuitry underlying affective decision-making in humans and rats. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of IBRO.”
“The complement system serves many biological functions, including the eradication of invasive pathogens and the removal of damaged cells and immune-complexes. Uncontrolled complement activation causes injury to host cells, however, so adequate regulation of the system is essential. Control of the complement system is maintained by a group of cell surface and circulating proteins referred to as complement regulatory proteins. The expression of the cell surface complement regulatory proteins varies from tissue to tissue. Furthermore, specific cell types can upregulate or downregulate the expression of these proteins in response to a variety of signals or insults. Altered regulation of the complement regulatory proteins can have important effects on local complement activation.