Event Abstract Back to Event Capsaicin-induced suppression of LTP in the mice lateral amygdala is mediated via nitric oxide and stimulation of CB1 receptors Doris Albrecht1*, Carsten Zschenderlein1, Christine Gebhardt1 and Oliver V. Und-Halbach2 1 Institute of Neurophysiology, Germany 2 Ernst Moritz Arndt Universitat , Institute of Anatomy und Cellular Biology, Germany The amygdala plays a key role in emotionality. Pain has a strong emotional component and persistant pain is significantly associated with depression and anxiety disorders. Whereas a key role of the central nucleus of the amygdala has been established in integration of nociceptive information, the concept of the lateral nucleus (LA) as an important contributor to pain and its emotional component is still emerging. In immunohistochemical studies we show that TRPV1 is expressed in the LA in a higher density than in the central nucleus. The transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) is a calcium-permeable cation channel responsible for binding capsaicin. We show for the first time that capsaicin, an agonist of TRPV1 dose-dependently suppresses LA-LTP in the lateral nucleus of the amygdala. In juvenile and adult male mice plasticity changes in the LA were induced by high frequency stimulation of external capsule fibers both in horizontal and coronal slices. The effect of capsaicin on the magnitude of LTP could be blocked by the specific TRPV1 antagonist capsazepine. Basal transmission and spontaneous mEPSPs and mIPSPs were not affected by capsaicin (1 –10 μM). L-NAME, an unspecific inhibitor of nitric oxid synthetase (NOS) blocked the inhibitory effect of capsaicin on LA-LTP. Accordingly, the capsaicin-induced effect on LA-LTP was also missed in nNOS deficient mice. Capsaicin-induced inhibition of LA-LTP could be also blocked by cannabinoid receptor CB1 antagonist, AM251. We suggest that the TRPV1 receptor may be involved in pain processing in higher brain structures, such as the amygdala. Our results also suggest that TRPV1 proteins in the amygdala (and putative endogenous vanilloids as the endocannabinoid anandamide) may be involved in the amygdala control of learning mechanisms. Conference: 41st European Brain and Behaviour Society Meeting, Rhodes Island, Greece, 13 Sep - 18 Sep, 2009. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Poster presentations Citation: Albrecht D, Zschenderlein C, Gebhardt C and Und-Halbach OV (2009). Capsaicin-induced suppression of LTP in the mice lateral amygdala is mediated via nitric oxide and stimulation of CB1 receptors. Conference Abstract: 41st European Brain and Behaviour Society Meeting. doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.08.2009.09.078 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 05 Jun 2009; Published Online: 05 Jun 2009. * Correspondence: Doris Albrecht, Institute of Neurophysiology, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany, doris.albrecht@charite.de Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Doris Albrecht Carsten Zschenderlein Christine Gebhardt Oliver V Und-Halbach Google Doris Albrecht Carsten Zschenderlein Christine Gebhardt Oliver V Und-Halbach Google Scholar Doris Albrecht Carsten Zschenderlein Christine Gebhardt Oliver V Und-Halbach PubMed Doris Albrecht Carsten Zschenderlein Christine Gebhardt Oliver V Und-Halbach Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.