Synthetic versus natural cat odorant effects on rodent behavior and medial amygdala plasticity

Fear and anxiety behaviors are underpinned by neuronal changes within the amygdala. Here, the effects of exposure to natural and synthetic cat odor on behavior and amygdala plasticity were determined. Exposure to natural odor elicited typical and persistent anxiety-related behaviors, such as avoidance, freezing, and flat-back approach; however, synthetic odorant evoked no significant alteration in behavior. Furthermore, ex vivo induction of long-term potentiation within the medial nucleus of the amygdala, a principal area involved in olfactory perception, was significantly reduced after exposure to natural, but not synthetic, odor. Data presented here suggests that the synthetic odorant utilized may lack the constituents that are required to indicate predator presence in rodents and also the capacity to modulate neuronal plasticity within the medial nucleus of the amygdala.