浙江大学李晓明课题组的最新研究发现，杏仁核不同5-羟色胺通路介导焦虑的不同行为特征。2022年11月29日出版的《自然—神经科学》杂志发表了这项成果。

研究人员证明，在小鼠中，社交刺激和致焦虑刺激分别增加和减少基底杏仁核（BA）的5-羟色胺（5-HT）水平。在背脊核（DRN）中，投射到BA小清蛋白（DRN^{5-HT∩vGluT3}-BA^PV）和锥体（DRN^{5-HT∩vGluT3}-BA^Pyr）神经元具有不同的内在属性和基因表达，分别对致焦虑和社交刺激作出反应。激活DRN^{5-HT∩vGluT3}→BA^PV通过BA中5-羟色胺能终端上的GABA_B受体抑制5-HT释放来诱发社交回避和回避明亮空间。激活DRN^{5-HT∩vGluT3}→BA神经元，通过5-HT1A受体（HTR1A）和5-HT1B受体（HTR1B）抑制BAPyr神经元的两个亚群。对BA中HTR1A和HTR1B的药理抑制分别诱发了对明亮空间的回避和社交回避。这些发现强调了从DRN到BA亚群的异源性输入在调节独立的焦虑相关行为方面的功能意义。

据介绍，小鼠的焦虑样行为包括社交回避和回避明亮空间。这些特征是否有明显的调节还不清楚。

附：英文原文

Title: Distinct serotonergic pathways to the amygdala underlie separate behavioral features of anxiety

Author: Yu, Xiao-Dan, Zhu, Yi, Sun, Qi-Xin, Deng, Fei, Wan, Jinxia, Zheng, Di, Gong, Wankun, Xie, Shi-Ze, Shen, Chen-Jie, Fu, Jia-Yu, Huang, Huiqian, Lai, Hsin-Yi, Jin, Jin, Li, Yulong, Li, Xiao-Ming

Issue&Volume: 2022-11-29

Abstract: Anxiety-like behaviors in mice include social avoidance and avoidance of bright spaces. Whether these features are distinctly regulated is unclear. We demonstrate that in mice, social and anxiogenic stimuli, respectively, increase and decrease serotonin (5-HT) levels in basal amygdala (BA). In dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), 5-HT∩vGluT3 neurons projecting to BA parvalbumin (DRN5-HT∩vGluT3-BAPV) and pyramidal (DRN5-HT∩vGluT3-BAPyr) neurons have distinct intrinsic properties and gene expression and respond to anxiogenic and social stimuli, respectively. Activation of DRN5-HT∩vGluT3→BAPV inhibits 5-HT release via GABAB receptors on serotonergic terminals in BA, inducing social avoidance and avoidance of bright spaces. Activation of DRN5-HT∩vGluT3→BA neurons inhibits two subsets of BAPyr neurons via 5-HT1A receptors (HTR1A) and 5-HT1B receptors (HTR1B). Pharmacological inhibition of HTR1A and HTR1B in BA induces avoidance of bright spaces and social avoidance, respectively. These findings highlight the functional significance of heterogenic inputs from DRN to BA subpopulations in the regulation of separate anxiety-related behaviors.

DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01200-8

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-022-01200-8