Absence of dopamine D4 receptors results in enhanced reactivity to unconditioned, but not conditioned, fear

The prefrontal cortex receives a major dopaminergic input from the ventral tegmental area, which plays an important role in the integration of neuronal signals influencing behavioural responses to stressful environmental stimuli. The dopamine D4 receptor (D4R) is expressed at highest levels in the p...

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Publicado: 2002
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Acceso en línea:https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_0953816X_v15_n1_p158_Falzone
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_0953816X_v15_n1_p158_Falzone
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spelling paper:paper_0953816X_v15_n1_p158_Falzone2023-06-08T15:55:27Z Absence of dopamine D4 receptors results in enhanced reactivity to unconditioned, but not conditioned, fear Anxiety Dopamine receptors Fear Frontal cortex Knockout mice Mouse alcohol anxiolytic agent benzodiazepine dopamine dopamine 4 receptor midazolam receptor subtype animal experiment anxiety article association avoidance behavior behavior conditioned reflex conditioning controlled study darkness decision making exploratory behavior fear instrumental conditioning learning light maze test mouse mouse strain nonhuman prefrontal cortex priority journal protein deficiency signal transduction stimulus response stress wild type Animals Anti-Anxiety Agents Anxiety Avoidance Learning Behavior, Animal Central Nervous System Depressants Conditioning (Psychology) Conflict (Psychology) Ethanol Exploratory Behavior Fear Mice Mice, Knockout Midazolam Receptors, Dopamine D2 Receptors, Dopamine D4 Stress, Psychological The prefrontal cortex receives a major dopaminergic input from the ventral tegmental area, which plays an important role in the integration of neuronal signals influencing behavioural responses to stressful environmental stimuli. The dopamine D4 receptor (D4R) is expressed at highest levels in the prefrontal cortex and is the predominant D2-like receptor localized in this brain area. To investigate the functional significance of D4Rs in dopamine-mediated responses we have analysed a strain of mice lacking this receptor subtype (Drd4-/-). Wild-type and Drd4-/- mice were challenged in two different approach/avoidance conflict paradigms: the elevated plus maze and the light/dark preference exploration test. By these behavioural measures Drd4-/- mice showed heightened avoidance to the more fear-provoking areas of each maze as demonstrated by reduced exploration of the open arms of the plus maze and longer latencies to explore the illuminated compartment of the light/dark shuttle box. These exaggerated avoidance behaviours were further enhanced by an additional handling stress but completely prevented by anxiolytic agents such as the benzodiazepine midazolam and ethanol. Although Drd4-/- mice displayed heightened anxiety, they exhibited normal ethanol preference and consumption in a two-bottle choice test. Learned fear responses evaluated by contextual, cued and instrumental fear-conditioning tests showed no difference between wild-type and Drd4-/- mice. Taken together these results indicate that the absence of D4Rs increases avoidance behaviour to unconditioned stimuli and does not impair behavioural reactions to Pavlovian fear-conditioning, suggesting that the D4R could play a key role in the dopaminergic modulation of cortical signals triggered by environmental stimuli. 2002 https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_0953816X_v15_n1_p158_Falzone http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_0953816X_v15_n1_p158_Falzone
institution Universidad de Buenos Aires
institution_str I-28
repository_str R-134
collection Biblioteca Digital - Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (UBA)
topic Anxiety
Dopamine receptors
Fear
Frontal cortex
Knockout mice
Mouse
alcohol
anxiolytic agent
benzodiazepine
dopamine
dopamine 4 receptor
midazolam
receptor subtype
animal experiment
anxiety
article
association
avoidance behavior
behavior
conditioned reflex
conditioning
controlled study
darkness
decision making
exploratory behavior
fear
instrumental conditioning
learning
light
maze test
mouse
mouse strain
nonhuman
prefrontal cortex
priority journal
protein deficiency
signal transduction
stimulus response
stress
wild type
Animals
Anti-Anxiety Agents
Anxiety
Avoidance Learning
Behavior, Animal
Central Nervous System Depressants
Conditioning (Psychology)
Conflict (Psychology)
Ethanol
Exploratory Behavior
Fear
Mice
Mice, Knockout
Midazolam
Receptors, Dopamine D2
Receptors, Dopamine D4
Stress, Psychological
spellingShingle Anxiety
Dopamine receptors
Fear
Frontal cortex
Knockout mice
Mouse
alcohol
anxiolytic agent
benzodiazepine
dopamine
dopamine 4 receptor
midazolam
receptor subtype
animal experiment
anxiety
article
association
avoidance behavior
behavior
conditioned reflex
conditioning
controlled study
darkness
decision making
exploratory behavior
fear
instrumental conditioning
learning
light
maze test
mouse
mouse strain
nonhuman
prefrontal cortex
priority journal
protein deficiency
signal transduction
stimulus response
stress
wild type
Animals
Anti-Anxiety Agents
Anxiety
Avoidance Learning
Behavior, Animal
Central Nervous System Depressants
Conditioning (Psychology)
Conflict (Psychology)
Ethanol
Exploratory Behavior
Fear
Mice
Mice, Knockout
Midazolam
Receptors, Dopamine D2
Receptors, Dopamine D4
Stress, Psychological
Absence of dopamine D4 receptors results in enhanced reactivity to unconditioned, but not conditioned, fear
topic_facet Anxiety
Dopamine receptors
Fear
Frontal cortex
Knockout mice
Mouse
alcohol
anxiolytic agent
benzodiazepine
dopamine
dopamine 4 receptor
midazolam
receptor subtype
animal experiment
anxiety
article
association
avoidance behavior
behavior
conditioned reflex
conditioning
controlled study
darkness
decision making
exploratory behavior
fear
instrumental conditioning
learning
light
maze test
mouse
mouse strain
nonhuman
prefrontal cortex
priority journal
protein deficiency
signal transduction
stimulus response
stress
wild type
Animals
Anti-Anxiety Agents
Anxiety
Avoidance Learning
Behavior, Animal
Central Nervous System Depressants
Conditioning (Psychology)
Conflict (Psychology)
Ethanol
Exploratory Behavior
Fear
Mice
Mice, Knockout
Midazolam
Receptors, Dopamine D2
Receptors, Dopamine D4
Stress, Psychological
description The prefrontal cortex receives a major dopaminergic input from the ventral tegmental area, which plays an important role in the integration of neuronal signals influencing behavioural responses to stressful environmental stimuli. The dopamine D4 receptor (D4R) is expressed at highest levels in the prefrontal cortex and is the predominant D2-like receptor localized in this brain area. To investigate the functional significance of D4Rs in dopamine-mediated responses we have analysed a strain of mice lacking this receptor subtype (Drd4-/-). Wild-type and Drd4-/- mice were challenged in two different approach/avoidance conflict paradigms: the elevated plus maze and the light/dark preference exploration test. By these behavioural measures Drd4-/- mice showed heightened avoidance to the more fear-provoking areas of each maze as demonstrated by reduced exploration of the open arms of the plus maze and longer latencies to explore the illuminated compartment of the light/dark shuttle box. These exaggerated avoidance behaviours were further enhanced by an additional handling stress but completely prevented by anxiolytic agents such as the benzodiazepine midazolam and ethanol. Although Drd4-/- mice displayed heightened anxiety, they exhibited normal ethanol preference and consumption in a two-bottle choice test. Learned fear responses evaluated by contextual, cued and instrumental fear-conditioning tests showed no difference between wild-type and Drd4-/- mice. Taken together these results indicate that the absence of D4Rs increases avoidance behaviour to unconditioned stimuli and does not impair behavioural reactions to Pavlovian fear-conditioning, suggesting that the D4R could play a key role in the dopaminergic modulation of cortical signals triggered by environmental stimuli.
title Absence of dopamine D4 receptors results in enhanced reactivity to unconditioned, but not conditioned, fear
title_short Absence of dopamine D4 receptors results in enhanced reactivity to unconditioned, but not conditioned, fear
title_full Absence of dopamine D4 receptors results in enhanced reactivity to unconditioned, but not conditioned, fear
title_fullStr Absence of dopamine D4 receptors results in enhanced reactivity to unconditioned, but not conditioned, fear
title_full_unstemmed Absence of dopamine D4 receptors results in enhanced reactivity to unconditioned, but not conditioned, fear
title_sort absence of dopamine d4 receptors results in enhanced reactivity to unconditioned, but not conditioned, fear
publishDate 2002
url https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_0953816X_v15_n1_p158_Falzone
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_0953816X_v15_n1_p158_Falzone
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