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Dopamine D1 receptors within the basolateral amygdala mediate heroin-induced conditioned immunomodulation
Jennifer L Szczytkowski1, Donald T Lysle
1Department of Psychology, CB#3270, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3270, USA. jthomson@email.unc.edu
Abstract:
This study investigates the role of basolateral amygdala (BLA) dopamine in heroin-induced conditioned immunomodulation. Animals underwent conditioning in which heroin administration was repeatedly paired with placement into a conditioning chamber. Six days after the final conditioning session animals were returned to the chamber and received intra-BLA microinfusions of dopamine, D(1) or D(2), antagonist. Antagonism of D(1), but not D(2), receptors within the BLA blocked the suppressive effect of heroin-associated environmental stimuli on iNOS, TNF-α and IL-1β. This study is the first to demonstrate that the expression of heroin's conditioned effects on proinflammatory mediators require dopamine D(1) receptors within the BLA.
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