Fig. 3: Effects of chemogenetic activate the piriform cortex (PC) excitability neurons-induced learning and memory dysfunction but not mood-related disorders.
A Experimental timeline of virus injection for investigating the behavioral impact, CNO injections (3.3 mg/kg). B Schematic of the sagittal section of the mouse brain shows hM3D(Gq) virus injection. C The c-Fos positive cells were activated after CNO injection. Scale bar, 50 μm. D Mean count of the c-Fos-positive neurons in the PC following CNO injection (z = −4.066, p < 0.001; Wilcoxon rank sum test). GFP, injection with GFP-expressing viral vector in mice, n = 11, mice = 3; hM3Dq, injection with hM3D(Gq)-expressing viral vector in mice, n = 12, mice = 3. E Quantification of the time spent in the novel arm after injected CNO in hM3Dq and GFP mice (t18 = 2.390, p = 0.028; Unpaired student’s t-test). GFP, n = 10; hM3Dq, n = 10. F Escape latency was not significantly different between hM3Dq and GFP mice (F (1, 18) = 4.204, p = 0.055; Two-way repeated measures ANOVA), but hM3Dq mice spent less time in the target quadrant than GFP mice (t18 = 2.183, p = 0.0425; Unpaired student’s t-test). GFP, n = 10; hM3Dq, n = 10. G Time in the open arms (t18 = −1.341, p = 0.197; Unpaired student’s t-test) and open arm entries (t18 = −0.644, p = 0.528; Unpaired student’s t-test) during the elevated plus maze. GFP, n = 10; hM3Dq, n = 10. H The immobility time in the forced swimming test (t18 = 2.101, p = 0.0499; Unpaired student’s t-test. GFP, n = 10; hM3Dq, n = 10) and I tail suspension test (t16 = 0.6192, p = 0.545; Unpaired student’s t-test. GFP, n = 10; hM3Dq, n = 8). Data are presented as the mean ± SEM. *p < 0.05, ***p < 0.001.
