The amygdala contributes to generation of affective behaviors to threats. The prototypical threat to an individual is exposure to a noxious stimulus and the amygdaloid central nucleus (CeA) receives nociceptive input that is mediated by glutamatergic neurotransmission. The present study evaluated the contribution of glutamate receptors in CeA to generation of the affective response to acute pain in rats. Vocalizations that occur following a brief noxious tailshock (vocalization afterdischarges) are a validated rodent model of pain affect, and were preferentially suppressed by bilateral injection into CeA of the NMDA receptor antagonist D-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (AP5, 1μg, 2μg, or 4μg) or the non-NMDA receptor antagonist 6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione disodium (CNQX, .25μg, .5μg, 1μg, or 2μg). Vocalizations that occur during tailshock were suppressed to a lesser degree, whereas, spinal motor reflexes (tail flick and hindlimb movements) were unaffected by injection of AP5 or CNQX into CeA. Unilateral administration of AP5 or CNQX into CeA of either hemisphere also selectively elevated vocalization thresholds. Bilateral administration of AP5 or CNQX produced greater increases in vocalization thresholds than the same doses of antagonists administered unilaterality into either hemisphere indicating synergistic hemispheric interactions. Perspective The amygdala contributes to production of emotional responses to environmental threats. Blocking glutamate neurotransmission within the central nucleus of the amygdala suppressed rats’ emotional response to acute painful stimulation. Understanding the neurobiology underlying emotional responses to pain will provide insights into new treatments for pain and its associated affective disorders.

The medial thalamic parafascicular nucleus (PF) and the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) are implicated in the processing and suppression of the affective dimension of pain. The present study evaluated the functional interaction between PF and rACC in mediating the suppression of pain affect in rats following administration of morphine or carbachol (acetylcholine agonist) into PF. Vocalizations that occur following a brief noxious tailshock (vocalization afterdischarges) are a validated rodent model of pain affect, and were preferentially suppressed by injection of morphine or carbachol into PF. Vocalizations that occur during tailshock were suppressed to a lesser degree, whereas, spinal motor reflexes (tail flick and hindlimb movements) were only slightly suppressed by injection of carbachol into PF and unaffected by injection of morphine into PF. Blocking glutamate receptors in rACC (NMDA and non-NMDA) by injecting D-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (AP-5) or 6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione disodium (CNQX) produced dose-dependent antagonism of morphine-induced increases in vocalization thresholds. Carbacholinduced increases in vocalization thresholds were not affected by injection of either glutamate receptor antagonist into rACC. The results demonstrate that glutamate receptors in the rACC contribute to the suppression of pain affect produced by injection of morphine into PF, but not to the suppression of pain affect generated by intra-PF injection of carbachol.

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The amygdala contributes to the generation of pain affect and the amygdaloid central nucleus (CeA) receives nociceptive input that is mediated by glutamatergic neurotransmission. The present study compared the contribution of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor agonism and antagonism in CeA to generation of the affective response of rats to an acute noxious stimulus. Vocalizations that occur following a brief tail shock (vocalization afterdischarges) are a validated rodent model of pain affect, and were preferentially suppressed, in a dose dependent manner, by bilateral injection into CeA of NMDA (.1 µg, .25 µg, .5 µg, or 1 µg/side), or the NMDA receptor antagonist D-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (AP5, 1 µg, 2 µg, or 4 µg/side). Vocalizations that occur during tail shock were suppressed to a lesser degree, whereas, spinal motor reflexes (tail flick and hind limb movements) were unaffected by injection of NMDA or AP5 into CeA. Injection of NMDA, but not AP5, into CeA increased c-Fos immunoreactivity in the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG), and unilateral injection of the µ-opiate receptor antagonist H-D-Phe-Cys-Tyr-D-Trp-Arg-Thr-Pen-Thr-NH2 (CTAP, 0.25 µg) into vlPAG prevented the antinociception generated by injection of NMDA into CeA. These findings demonstrate that although NMDA receptor agonism and antagonism in CeA produce similar suppression of pain behaviors they do so via different neurobiological mechanisms. Perspective The amygdala contributes to production of the emotional dimension of pain. NMDA receptor agonism and antagonism within the central nucleus of the amygdala suppressed rats’ emotional response to acute painful stimulation. Understanding the neurobiology underlying emotional responses to pain will provide insights into new treatments for pain and its associated affective disorders.

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