Fig. 7.

Manipulation of LC→CeA neurons, but not LC→mPFC neurons, alters stress-induced OFT activity one week later. (A) Rats whose LC→CeA cells were inhibited during stressor exposure (n = 4) show increased percent time in the center of the OFT one week later relative to rats that were exposed to stress and did not have their LC→CeA projection inhibited (n = 4). Additionally, stressor exposure in rats that express mCherry in LC→CeA projection cells (n = 4) significantly decreases percent time in the center of the OFT one week later relative to rats that express mCherry in LC→CeA cells and undergo control conditions (n = 4). Percent freezing time in the OFT (B), distance traveled (C) and percent time mobile (D) were not significantly affected by manipulation of LC→CeA projection cells. (E) Mean heat maps for activity in the OFT for rats whose LC→CeA pathway was manipulated. (F) Stressor exposure in rats that express mCherry in LC→mPFC projection cells significantly decreases percent time in the center of the OFT one week later relative to rats that express mCherry in LC→mPFC cells and undergo control conditions, but neither activation nor inhibition of LC→mPFC projection cells in control and stress conditions, respectively, had an effect on OFT percent center time. Percent freezing time (G) and distance traveled in the OFT (H) were not significantly affected by manipulation of LC→mPFC projection cells. (I) Stressor exposure significantly decreased percent time mobile in rats expressing mCherry in LC→mPFC cells relative to control rats expressing mCherry in this pathway. (J) Mean heat maps for activity in the OFT for rats whose LC→mPFC pathway was manipulated. *: p < 0.05.