Fig. 5: Activity in aPVTCRF neurons bidirectionally regulates food seeking and avoidance behavior.
From: A hypothalamic-thalamostriatal circuit that controls approach-avoidance conflict in rats
a (Top) Timeline of the conflict test during chemogenetic inhibition of aPVTCRF neurons. (Bottom left) Representative micrograph showing the viral expression in aPVT. (Bottom center) High magnification of the same micrograph. (Bottom right) Red areas represent the minimum (dark) and the maximum (light) viral expression. b–g Chemogenetic inhibition of aPVTCRF neurons (red wine bars, n = 8) reduced the percentage of time rats spent exhibiting c avoidance (F(1, 17) = 6.41, P = 0.021), and increased e food-approach time (F(1, 17) = 13.9, P = 0.0017) and f lever presses (F(1, 17) = 4.62, P = 0.046), with a reduction in the g latency to press (F(1, 17) = 11.35, P = 0.0036) during the conflict test, when compared to mCherry controls (gray bars, n = 11). No changes were observed in b freezing (F(1, 17) = 0.8813, P = 0.36) and d head-out (F(1, 17) = 0.34, P = 0.56). h (Top) Timeline of the cued food-seeking test during optogenetic activation of aPVTCRF neurons. (Bottom left) Representative micrograph showing the viral expression in aPVT. (Bottom center) High magnification of the same micrograph. (Bottom right) Green areas represent the minimum (dark) and the maximum (light) viral expression. Purple dots: optical fiber tips. i Schematic of the cued food-seeking test. j–l Optogenetic activation of aPVTCRF neurons (purple solid circles, n = 6) reduced the j number of lever presses (F(4, 48) = 11.4, P < 0.001) and increased k the latency to press the lever (F(4, 48) = 14.21, P < 0.001), when compared to eYFP controls (gray circles, n = 8). No difference was found in l the percentage of time rats spent freezing during the illumination (F(4, 48) = 1.691, P = 0.168). Blue shaded area represents laser-on trials (20 Hz, 5 ms pulse width, 10 mW, 30 s duration). Each circle represents the average of two consecutive trials. m Schematic of the real-time place preference test. n–r Photoactivation of aPVTCRF neurons (purple bars, n = 5) reduced both n the percentage of time spent (F (1, 11) = 7.79, P = 0.018) and o the distance traveled (F(1, 11) = 7.238, P = 0.021) in the side of the chamber paired with laser stimulation (Side B), when compared to eYFP controls (gray bars, n = 7). p Representative tracks. No difference was found in locomotor activity measured as q total distance traveled (P = 0.911, t = 0.11) and r maximum speed (P = 0.183, t = 1.42) during the session. Blue shaded areas represent the sum of all laser-on epochs (20 Hz, 5 ms pulse width, 10 mW). sm stria medullaris, 3V third ventricle, cc corpus callosum, MD mediodorsal thalamus, CA3 hippocampal CA3 subregion. Scale bars: 500 μm; inset scale bars: 100 μm. b–g, j–l, n, o Two-way repeated-measures ANOVA followed by Bonferroni test. q, r Unpaired Student’s t test. Data are shown as mean ± SEM. *P < 0.05. See also Supplementary Movies 4, 5, and 6.
