Removal of perineuronal nets in the medial prefrontal cortex impairs the acquisition and reconsolidation of a cocaine-induced conditioned place preference memory

Megan Slaker, Lynn Churchill, Ryan P. Todd, Jordan M. Blacktop, Damian G. Zuloaga, Jacob Raber, Rebecca A. Darling, Travis E. Brown, Barbara A. Sorg

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

139 Scopus citations

Abstract

Pyramidal neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) critically contribute to cocaine-seeking behavior in humans and rodents. Activity of these neurons is significantly modulated by GABAergic, parvalbumin-containing, fast-spiking interneurons, the majority of which are enveloped by specialized structures of extracellular matrix called perineuronal nets (PNNs), which are integral to the mainte-nanceofmany types ofplasticity. Using a conditioned place preference (CPP) procedure,we found that removal of PNNs primarily from the prelimbic region of the mPFCofadult, male, Sprague Dawley rats impaired the acquisition and reconsolidation ofa cocaine-induced CPP memory. This impairment was accompanied by a decrease in the number of c-Fos-positive cells surrounded by PNNs. Following removal of PNNs, the frequency of inhibitory currents in mPFC pyramidal neurons was decreased; but following cocaine-induced CPP, both frequency and amplitudeof inhibitory currents were decreased. Our findings suggest that cocaine-induced plasticity isimpaired by removal of prelimbic mPFC PNNs and that PNNs may be a therapeutic target for disruption of cocaine CPP memories.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)4190-4202
Number of pages13
JournalJournal of Neuroscience
Volume35
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - 2015

Keywords

  • Cocaine
  • Conditioned place preference
  • Memory
  • Perineuronal net

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience

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