Fig. 2: Accumbal PV neurons exhibit higher excitability in chronically stressed mice, and are responsible for excessive avoidance of anxiogenic locations.
a Representative images showing the distribution of PV neurons (green) in the NAc; left, scale bar, 100 μm; middle, scale bar, 50 μm; right, the proportion of PV neurons in the NAc shell and core area, respectively (n = 31 slices from 3 mice). b Representative images showing the distribution of PV neurons (green) in BNST; left, scale bar, 100 μm; right, scale bar, 50 μm. c Schematic showing selective expression of ChR2 into the sNAcPV neurons for whole-cell patch-clamp recordings. d Representative traces showing action potential spiking in sNAcPV neurons (n = 6 cells from 4 mice per group). e The input–output curve of injected currents versus spiking frequency. f Spiking frequency of PV neurons in naive and stressed mice during the injection of a current (100 pA, unpaired t test, t = 3.284, P = 0.0082). g–h RMP and threshold of naive and stressed mice (Unpaired t test, for RMP, t = 0.2418, P = 0.8139; for threshold, t = 0.5077, P = 0.6227). i Schematic showing chemogenetic inhibition of sNAcPV neurons. j–k Mean time spent in open arms and entries to the open arms with or without chemogenetic inhibition of sNAcPV neurons (n = 10–11 mice per group, unpaired t test, for j, t = 4.852, P = 0.0001; for k, t = 3.880, P = 0.001).
