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  • Paraventricular nucleus-cen...
    Li, Yu-Jie; Du, Wei-Jia; Liu, Rui; Zan, Gui-Ying; Ye, Bing-Lu; Li, Qian; Sheng, Zhi-Hao; Yuan, Ya-Wei; Song, Yu-Jie; Liu, Jing-Gen; Liu, Zhi-Qiang

    CNS neuroscience & therapeutics, 11/2023, Volume: 29, Issue: 11
    Journal Article

    Anxiety disorders associated with pain are a common health problem. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. We aimed to investigate the role of paraventricular nucleus (PVN)-central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) oxytocinergic projections in anxiety-like behaviors induced by inflammatory pain. After inflammatory pain induction by complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA), mice underwent elevated plus maze, light-dark transition test, and marble burying test to examine the anxiety-like behaviors. Chemogenetic, optogenetic, and fiber photometry recordings were used to modulate and record the activity of the oxytocinergic projections of the PVN-CeA. The key results are as follows: inflammatory pain-induced anxiety-like behaviors in mice accompanied by decreased activity of PVN oxytocin neurons. Chemogenetic activation of PVN oxytocin neurons prevented pain-related anxiety-like behaviors, whereas inhibition of PVN oxytocin neurons induced anxiety-like behaviors in naïve mice. PVN oxytocin neurons projected directly to the CeA, and microinjection of oxytocin into the CeA blocked anxiety-like behaviors. Inflammatory pain also decreased the activity of CeA neurons, and optogenetic activation of PVN -CeA circuit prevented anxiety-like behavior in response to inflammatory pain. The results of our study suggest that oxytocin has anti-anxiety effects and provide novel insights into the role of PVN -CeA projections in the regulation of anxiety-like behaviors induced by inflammatory pain.