Synapse
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The core of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc core) is the principal input structure to the basal ganglia circuitry for the prelimbic and medial orbital areas (PL/MO) of the prefrontal cortex. As is now well recognized in the rat, the main basal ganglia output of this prefrontal channel is the dorsomedial part of the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNR) and not the ventral pallidum as previously suggested. There is evidence suggesting that the ventral pallidum is rather involved with the subthalamic nucleus (STN) in an indirect NAcc-SNR pathway. ⋯ Furthermore, the stimulation of the VPl induced an inhibition in a majority of the STN cells identified, by the antidromic activation method, as projecting to SNR (76.6%) and/or back to the VPl (72.7%). In conclusion, these data further demonstrate the existence of an indirect striato-nigral pathway in the PL/MO channel and indicate that VPl is involved in an inhibitory feedback circuit, which modulates the discharge of medial STN. These results indicate that the medial STN is implicated in the limbic/cognitive functions of the basal ganglia.
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The administration of psychostimulants increases dopamine (DA) release within the nucleus accumbens (NAC), a terminal projection site of mesolimbic DA neurons, originating in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Recent evidence demonstrates that two subdivisions of the NAC, the dorsolateral core and the ventromedial shell, can be distinguished by morphological and immunohistochemical differences, as well as by their distinct anatomical connections. It has been suggested that these two subregions subserve different functions that are related to goal-directed behaviors, stimulus-reward associations, and reinforcement induced by addictive drugs. ⋯ The highest dose of AMPH significantly increased dialysate 5-HT levels over baseline only in the caudal shell of the NAC. The basal dialysate 5-HT levels did not significantly differ between the three subterritories of the NAC. These results emphasize the heterogeneity and functional compartmentalization within the NAC, the differential regulation of neurochemical and motor responses across the anteroposterior axis of the NAC, and the preferential effect of AMPH in the rostral shell subterritory of the NAC.