Determination of neurotensin projections to the ventral tegmental area in mice

Pharmacologic treatment with the neuropeptide neurotensin (Nts) modifies motivated behaviors such as feeding, locomotor activity, and reproduction. Dopamine (DA) neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) control these behaviors, and Nts directly modulates the activity of DA neurons via Nts receptor-1. While Nts sources to the VTA have been described in starlings and rats, the endogenous sources of Nts to the VTA of mice remain incompletely understood, impeding determination of which Nts circuits orchestrate specific behaviors in this model.

Source: Neuropeptides - February 15, 2018 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Hillary L. Woodworth, Juliette A. Brown, Hannah M. Batchelor, Raluca Bugescu, Gina M. Leinninger Source Type: research