Figure 1.
Representative schematic drawing of cannulae tips positions in the basolateral amygdala (BLA).
Black circles show the representative locations of the cannulae tip at coronal views of the BLA (2.56 mm and 2.80 mm posterior to bregma).
Figure 2.
Experimental procedure for the individual experiments.
In all the pharmacological experiments microinjection was preformed prior to exposure to stress.
Figure 3.
The effects of stress on acquisition, consolidation and retrieval in habituated and non-habituated rats.
a. In habituated rats, the control group spent significantly more time exploring the new location compared with rats that were subjected to the stressor immediately after the sample phase (EP Consol) or immediately before the test phase (EP Ret). a, b: P<0.001: different from EP Consol and EP Ret groups. b. In non-habituated rats, all groups showed poor performance in the task.
Table 1.
Total exploration times (sec.) during the sample phase.
Table 2.
Total exploration times (sec.) during the test phase.
Figure 4.
Intra-BLA RU-486 prevents the effects of stress on consolidation.
a. RU-486 microinjected into the BLA prevents the effects of stress on consolidation of the object location task in habituated rats. a, P<0.001: different from Vehicle; b, P<0.05: different from RU and RU+EP groups. b. RU-486 microinjected into the BLA does not prevent the effects of stress on retrieval of the object location task in habituated rats. a, P<0.05: different from control, b, P<0.01 different from RU; c, P<0.01: different from control and RU groups.
Figure 5.
Intra-BLA propranolol prevents the effects of stress on consolidation.
a. Propranolol microinjected into the BLA blocks the effects of stress on consolidation of the object location task in habituated rats. a, P<0.05: different from all groups. b. Propranolol microinjected into the BLA does not block the effects of stress on retrieval of the object location task in habituated rats. a, P<0.05: different from Prop+EP, b, c: P<0.01 different from EP.
Figure 6.
Intra-BLA WIN55,212-2 does not prevent the effects of stress on consolidation or retrieval.
a. WIN55,212-2 microinjected into the BLA does not block the effects of stress on consolidation of the object location task in habituated rats. a, P<0.01: different from EP; P<0.05: different from WIN. b. WIN55,212-2 microinjected into the BLA does not block the effects of stress on retrieval of the object location task in habituated rats. a, P<0.01: different from all groups.