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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2022 Jun 15.
Published in final edited form as: Biol Psychiatry. 2021 Jan 21;89(12):1162–1175. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.01.007

Figure 7. CRF-containing neuron stimulation in BNST is avoided and suppresses sucrose motivation.

Figure 7.

ChR2 rats avoided Laser+Sucrose that stimulated CRF-expressing neurons in BNST in A) two-choice test (n=5 female, n=3 male). BNST ChR2 Laser+Sucrose avoidance rose to an 8:1 opposite preference for Sucrose-alone by day 8. B) Control eYFP BNST rats chose equally between sucrose options (n=6). C) BNST NpHR rats (n=3 female, n=3 male) showed no significant difference between inhibitory Laser+Sucrose and Sucrose-alone. D) BNST ChR2 excitation of CRF-containing neurons suppressed breakpoint effort for sucrose in progressive ratio tests (n=5 female, n=3 male). Laser did not affect BNST eYFP control breakpoint, and so eYFP rats significantly differed from BNST ChR2 rats in laser effects on breakpoint. NpHR inhibition of BNST CRF-containing neurons did not statistically alter sucrose breakpoint, despite a nonsignificant trend toward increased motivation (n=3 female, n=3 male). Means and SEM reported. *p<0.05,**p<0.01,***p<0.001