A) Experimental design. α6L9S mice were cannulated and vehicle or αCtxMII (10 pmol) was infused into the VTA. Following VTA infusion, mice were injected i.p. with saline or nicotine (0.03 mg/kg). Sixty min later, brain slices were prepared for recording. AMPA-evoked currents were elicited by locally puffing AMPA onto the cell body of the recorded neuron and recording inward cation currents in voltage clamp mode.
B) Representative AMPA-evoked currents from α6L9S mice injected/infused with the indicated drugs are shown.
C) Mean peak AMPA-evoked currents for each group shown in (B) are plotted. Mann-Whitney U-test: *p<0.05 (actual: p=0.0205), **p<0.01 (actual: p=0.003). (VEH/VEH: n=7, MII/VEH: n=7, VEH/NIC: n=8, MII/NIC: n=8)
D) Cannula location for each mouse in groups indicated in (B) is shown.