小柯机器人

美国南加州大学Huizhong Whit Tao、Li I. Zhang等研究人员合作发现，视前内侧区域可拮抗性介导压力引起的焦虑和父母行为。2021年2月1日，国际知名学术期刊《自然—神经科学》在线发表了这一成果。

研究人员发现，焦虑的应激源可引起小鼠视前内侧区域（mPOA）的谷氨酸能神经元的急性和长期反应。这些神经元编码极为负面的状态，并介导焦虑样行为的诱导和表达。相反，含mPOA GABA的神经元编码正面状态并产生抗焦虑作用。竞争性局部相互作用和神经元到导水管周围灰质的远距离投影介导了这种相反的作用。这两个神经元群体拮抗调节焦虑样行为和父母行为：焦虑减轻，而父母行为则增强，反之亦然。

因此，通过不同但相互作用的回路评估负面和正面的状态，mPOA可以协调情绪状态和社交行为。 

据介绍，焦虑是一种负面的情绪状态，并过度表现在焦虑症和抑郁症中。尽管已知焦虑是由大脑网络控制的，但其引发、维持和与行为状态协调的关键组成部分仍然知之甚少。

附：英文原文

Title: Medial preoptic area antagonistically mediates stress-induced anxiety and parental behavior

Author: Guang-Wei Zhang, Li Shen, Can Tao, A-Hyun Jung, Bo Peng, Zhong Li, Li I. Zhang, Huizhong Whit Tao

Issue&Volume: 2021-02-01

Abstract: Anxiety is a negative emotional state that is overly displayed in anxiety disorders and depression. Although anxiety is known to be controlled by distributed brain networks, key components for its initiation, maintenance and coordination with behavioral state remain poorly understood. Here, we report that anxiogenic stressors elicit acute and prolonged responses in glutamatergic neurons of the mouse medial preoptic area (mPOA). These neurons encode extremely negative valence and mediate the induction and expression of anxiety-like behaviors. Conversely, mPOA GABA-containing neurons encode positive valence and produce anxiolytic effects. Such opposing roles are mediated by competing local interactions and long-range projections of neurons to the periaqueductal gray. The two neuronal populations antagonistically regulate anxiety-like and parental behaviors: anxiety is reduced, while parenting is enhanced and vice versa. Thus, by evaluating negative and positive valences through distinct but interacting circuits, the mPOA coordinates emotional state and social behavior. Zhang et al. show in mice that the medial preoptic area antagonistically regulates stress-induced anxiety and parental behaviors, coordinated by opposing roles of its glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons through their competitive interactions.

DOI: 10.1038/s41593-020-00784-3

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-020-00784-3

Nature Neuroscience：《自然—神经科学》，创刊于1998年。隶属于施普林格·自然出版集团，最新IF：28.771
官方网址：https://www.nature.com/neuro/
投稿链接：https://mts-nn.nature.com/cgi-bin/main.plex