Role of the limbic system in hypothalamically elicited attack behavior

Siegel, Allan; Edinger, Henry

doi:10.1016/0149-7634(83)90045-3

Cited by 46 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…The neural network for aggressive behavior includes the MPA, LS, AH, VMH, PAG, MeA, CoA, and BST (Kollack-Walker and Newman, 1995;Nelson and Trainor, 2007). Among them, the LS has been shown to be activated during fighting (Nelson and Trainor, 2007) and to suppress aggressive behaviors (Siegel and Edinger, 1983). The LS sends GABAergic projection to target neurons in the basal ganglia, hypothalamic areas, and lower brainstem (Sheehan et al, 2004).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence That Oxytocin Exerts Anxiolytic Effects via Oxytocin Receptor Expressed in Serotonergic Neurons in Mice

Yoshida¹,

Takayanagi²,

Inoue³

et al. 2009

J. Neurosci.

519

493

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The oxytocin receptor has been implicated in the regulation of reproductive physiology as well as social and emotional behaviors. The neurochemical mechanisms by which oxytocin receptor modulates social and emotional behavior remains elusive, in part because of a lack of sensitive and selective antibodies for cellular localization. To more precisely characterize oxytocin receptor-expressing neurons within the brain, we generated an oxytocin receptor-reporter mouse in which part of the oxytocin receptor gene was replaced with Venus cDNA (a variant of yellow fluorescent protein). Examination of the Venus expression revealed that, in the raphe nuclei, about one-half of tryptophan hydroxylase-immunoreactive neurons were positive for Venus, suggesting a potential role for oxytocin in the modulation of serotonin release. Oxytocin infusion facilitated serotonin release within the median raphe nucleus and reduced anxiety-related behavior. Infusion of a 5-HT 2A/2C receptor antagonist blocked the anxiolytic effect of oxytocin, suggesting that oxytocin receptor activation in serotonergic neurons mediates the anxiolytic effects of oxytocin. This is the first demonstration that oxytocin may regulate serotonin release and exert anxiolytic effects via direct activation of oxytocin receptor expressed in serotonergic neurons of the raphe nuclei. These results also have important implications for psychiatric disorders such as autism and depression in which both the oxytocin and serotonin systems have been implicated.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence That Oxytocin Exerts Anxiolytic Effects via Oxytocin Receptor Expressed in Serotonergic Neurons in Mice

Yoshida¹,

Takayanagi²,

Inoue³

et al. 2009

J. Neurosci.

519

493

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“…In this regard, it has been reported that lesion of the orbital PFC in rats produces an abnormally persistent latent inhibition (19). Furthermore, it is known that lesion of the orbital PFC affects aggressive behavior and/or its performance, depending on the age of the lesioned rat (36), and that electrical stimulation of selected sites of the anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortices is able to inhibit hypothalamically elicited aggression in the cat (37). In a classic study, Sauerland et al (9) reported that electrical stimulation of the orbitofrontal region evokes the inhibition of spinal reflex responses.…”

Section: Specific Functions Of the Rostral And Caudal Mpfc In Subprimmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electrical stimulation of the rostral medial prefrontal cortex in rabbits inhibits the expression of conditioned eyelid responses but not their acquisition

Leal‐Campanario

Fairén

Delgado‐García

et al. 2007

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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We have studied the role of rostral medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) on reflexively evoked blinks and on classically conditioned eyelid responses in alert-behaving rabbits. The rostral mPFC was identified by its afferent projections from the medial half of the thalamic mediodorsal nuclear complex. Classical conditioning consisted of a delay paradigm using a 370-ms tone as the conditioned stimulus (CS) and a 100-ms air puff directed at the left cornea as the unconditioned stimulus (US). The CS coterminated with the US. Electrical train stimulation of the contralateral rostral mPFC produced a significant inhibition of air-puff-evoked blinks. The same train stimulation of the rostral mPFC presented during the CS-US interval for 10 successive conditioning sessions significantly reduced the generation of conditioned responses (CRs) as compared with values reached by control animals. Interestingly, the percentage of CRs almost reached control values when train stimulation of the rostral mPFC was removed from the fifth conditioning session on. The electrical stimulation of the rostral mPFC in well conditioned animals produced a significant decrease in the percentage of CRs. Moreover, the stimulation of the rostral mPFC was also able to modify the kinematics (latency, amplitude, and velocity) of evoked CRs. These results suggest that the rostral mPFC is a potent inhibitor of reflexively evoked and classically conditioned eyeblinks but that activation prevents only the expression of CRs, not their latent acquisition. Functional and behavioral implications of this inhibitory role of the rostral mPFC are discussed.associative learning ͉ freezing behavior I t is generally accepted that the prefrontal cortex (PFC) represents the highest level in the hierarchical organization of the cortex, and that it is involved in the proper timing, representation, selection, and execution of intentional behaviors and cognitive processes (1-4). Although functions of the PFC cannot be easily ascribed to specific sites, the dorsolateral PFC is more related to working memory tasks and two-interval discrimination (5). In contrast, both medial and orbital PFCs are involved in the emotional component of selected behaviors, including classical and instrumental conditionings (6, 7). In particular, the medial PFC (mPFC) is involved in stimulus salience, sustained attention (8), and/or the integration of learned emotional changes (6), whereas the orbital PFC participates in the selection of appropriate motor actions, exerting an inhibitory control on general motility (1, 9, 10).Although the involvement of the mPFC in associative learning is well documented, the specific roles of its rostral and caudal parts are not yet well established. In this regard, it has been reported that the lesion of the caudal (but not of the rostral) mPFC impairs the acquisition of trace eyeblink conditioning in rabbits (11, 12). The caudal mPFC seems to be necessary at least when weak unconditioned stimulus (US) is used, or during partial reinforcement, large conditioned s...

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“…This brain area, however, was strongly activated in rats in which attacks were elicited by the electrical stimulation of the hypothalamic attack area [39], in fighting glucocorticoid deficient rats [14], in lactating female mice that fought against male intruders [45]; predatory aggression in cats and rats [43,44,46], and defeated intruders [47]. In all these cases, subjects showed a dramatic increase in attacks aimed at vulnerable body parts of their opponents [10][11][12][13]43,44,46,48,49]. SAL mice, which aimed a large share of their attacks towards vulnerable targets, also showed a large fightinduced increase in central amygdala activation.…”

Section: Comparison With Other Forms Of Violent Aggression-a Hypothesismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This brain area showed mild or no activation in the territorial fighting of male rats, male hamsters, and non-lactating female mice [14,39,41,42], and it was shown to inhibit affective aggression in cats (this behavior corresponds to rodent rivalry aggression; [43,44]. This brain area, however, was strongly activated in rats in which attacks were elicited by the electrical stimulation of the hypothalamic attack area [39], in fighting glucocorticoid deficient rats [14], in lactating female mice that fought against male intruders [45]; predatory aggression in cats and rats [43,44,46], and defeated intruders [47]. In all these cases, subjects showed a dramatic increase in attacks aimed at vulnerable body parts of their opponents [10][11][12][13]43,44,46,48,49].…”

Section: Comparison With Other Forms Of Violent Aggression-a Hypothesismentioning

confidence: 99%

Patterns of violent aggression-induced brain c-fos expression in male mice selected for aggressiveness

Haller

Tóth

Halász

et al. 2006

Physiology & Behavior

141

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Role of the limbic system in hypothalamically elicited attack behavior

Cited by 46 publications

References 54 publications

Evidence That Oxytocin Exerts Anxiolytic Effects via Oxytocin Receptor Expressed in Serotonergic Neurons in Mice

Evidence That Oxytocin Exerts Anxiolytic Effects via Oxytocin Receptor Expressed in Serotonergic Neurons in Mice

Electrical stimulation of the rostral medial prefrontal cortex in rabbits inhibits the expression of conditioned eyelid responses but not their acquisition

Patterns of violent aggression-induced brain c-fos expression in male mice selected for aggressiveness

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