Predatory Odor Exposure as a Potential Paradigm for Studying Emotional Modulation of Memory Consolidation—The Role of the Noradrenergic Transmission in the Basolateral Amygdala

Abstract

The pivotal role of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in the emotional modulation of hippocampal plasticity and memory consolidation is well-established. Specifically, multiple studies have demonstrated that the activation of the noradrenergic (NA) system within the BLA governs these modulatory effects. However, most current evidence has been obtained by direct infusion of synthetic NA or beta-adrenergic agonists. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effect of endogenous NA release in the BLA, induced by a natural aversive stimulus (coyote urine), on memory consolidation for a low-arousing, hippocampal-dependent task. Our experiments combined a weak object location task (OLT) version with subsequent mild predator odor exposure (POE). To investigate the role of endogenous NA in the BLA in memory modulation, a subset of the animals (Wistar rats) was treated with the non-selective beta-blocker propranolol at the end of the behavioral procedures. Hippocampal tissue was collected 90 min after drug infusion or after the OLT test, which was performed 24 h later. We used the obtained samples to estimate the levels of phosphorylated CREB (pCREB) and activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc)—two molecular markers of experience-dependent changes in neuronal activity. The result suggests that POE has the potential to become a valuable behavioral paradigm for studying the interaction between BLA and the hippocampus in memory prioritization and selectivity.