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. 2020 Oct 28;27(2):206–219. doi: 10.1111/cns.13465

FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 4

Optogenetic stimulation of VTATH terminals in the mPFC ameliorates anxiety‐like behavior induced by chronic stress in C57BL6/J mice. (A) ~ (B), Schematic illustration of the optogenetic experiment design. (C), Coronal image showing co‐localization of ChR2‐mCherry with TH‐expressing neurons in the VTA of C57BL6/J mice. Red, ChR2‐mCherry; green, TH‐positive neurons. Scale bar, 100 μm, insert scale bar, 25 μm. (D), Quantification of TH or ChR2‐mCherry neurons in the VTA, n = 11 slices from 3 mice. (E), Representative images showing the distribution of ChR2‐mCherry‐expressing terminals in the mPFC. Red: ChR2‐mCherry. Scale bar, 100 μm. (F) ~ (G), Entries to the OF center and time in the OF center; n = 7 control, n = 6 S‐mCherry, n = 6 mice S‐ChR2, ANOVA, Bonferroni post hoc test. (H) ~ (I), Entries to the open arms of the EPM and time on the open arms of the EPM; n = 7 control, n = 6 S‐mCherry, n = 6 S‐ChR2, ANOVA, Bonferroni post hoc test. *P < .05, **P < .01, ***P < .001