Fig. 4.

CEAl PKCδ⁺ cell activity is necessary and sufficient for the anxiolytic effect of DZP. a AAV-mediated Cre-dependent expression of DREADDs AAV::DIO-M4 (M4) or AAV::DIO-M3 (M3) in CEAl neurons of PKCδ::Cre transgenic mice. b–f Interaction of DZP and CEAl PKCδ⁺/SST⁻ neuron activity in the EPM. All mice received i.p. CNO (5 mg/kg) in addition to either DZP (1 mg/kg) or saline. b Average occupancy plots for each experimental condition. c DZP increased the time spent in the open arms. Inhibiting CEAl PKCδ ⁺/SST⁻ neurons did not significantly alter open arm time by itself but reverted the anxiolytic effect of DZP. Activation of CEAl PKCδ ⁺/SST⁻ neurons seemed to mimic the effect of DZP (one-way ANOVA F [4, 32] = 7.603, P = 0.0002; two-stage linear step-up procedure of Benjamini, Krieger, and Yekutieli). d Entries to the open arms were unchanged in all groups (one-way ANOVA F[4, 32] = 0.6223, P = 0.6499; two-stage linear step-up procedure of Benjamini, Krieger, and Yekutieli). e The distance travelled in the open arms showed a pattern similar to the time in the open arms (one-way ANOVA F [4, 32] = 10.57, P < 0.0001; two-stage linear step-up procedure of Benjamini, Krieger, and Yekutieli). f The total distance travelled was unchanged in all groups (one-way ANOVA F [4, 32] = 1.194, P = 0.3325; two-stage linear step-up procedure of Benjamini, Krieger, and Yekutieli). Bars are means ± s.e.m. Significance levels between groups (*) to DZP GFP ($) and saline M3 (#) groups at */$/# Q < 0.05, **/$$/##Q < 0.01, ***/$$$/### Q < 0.001, ****/$$$$/#### Q < 0.0001