GABAA Receptors Mediate Anxiety-like Behavior Induced by Ghrelin in Neonatal Chick Forebrain

MARÍA SOLEDAD GASTÓN; NANCY A SALVATIERRA

Congreso; XXVII Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencias; 2012

Ghrelin is a peptide of 28 aa homology between species and has an anxiogenic action in rodents and birds. The GABAergic system is modulated by stressful events that modify the transmission and synaptic strength. In chick, it has been identified a high density of RGABAA in the intermediate medial hyperstriatum ventrale (IMHV). In the present study, the involvement of RGABAA on the anxiogenic effect of ghrelin. In the first experiment, ghrelin injected HVMI latency significantly increased ambulation in the open field test in a dose-dependent manner (15-900pmol) compared to saline injected control, indicating anxiogenic effect. In the second experiment, the ip injection of 0.036 mg / kg and 0.36 mg / kg of bicuculline (antagonist) blocked the response induced by ghrelin on anxiety behavior in the open field. These results demonstrate for the first time the action of ghrelin anxiogenic during acute stress may be reversed by blocking HVMI RGABAA and thatin addition to being an area strongly implicated in processing memory also plays a central role in the expression of stress-related behaviors.