Lateral septal infusions of the neuropeptide Y Y2 receptor agonist, NPY(13-36) differentially affect different defensive behaviors in male, Long Evans rats

• Published in: Physiology & behavior 2013-02, Vol.110-111, p.20-29
• Main Authors: Trent, Natalie L, Menard, Janet L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agonistic Behavior - drug effects; Animals; Anxiety - chemically induced; Anxiety - psychology; Appetite - drug effects; Arginine - analogs & derivatives; Arginine - pharmacology; Benzazepines - pharmacology; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Eating - drug effects; Electroshock; Injections; Male; Neuropeptide Y - administration & dosage; Neuropeptide Y - pharmacology; Peptide Fragments - administration & dosage; Peptide Fragments - pharmacology; Rats; Rats, Long-Evans; Receptors, Neuropeptide Y - agonists; Receptors, Neuropeptide Y - antagonists & inhibitors; Septum of Brain
• ISSN: 1873-507X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2012.12.011

The lateral septum has been extensively implicated in regulating anxiety-related defensive behaviors in the rat. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) contributes to anxiety, likely through activity at the NPY Y1 and/or Y2 receptor binding sites. Although the lateral septum contains the highest density of Y2 receptors in brain, the involvement of this receptor in anxiety-related defensive behaviors is not clear. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to characterize lateral septal Y2 receptor contributions to rats' defensive responses to threat and/or potentially threatening environments. We investigated this by infusing the NPY Y2 agonist NPY13-36 into the lateral septum and testing rats across a battery of animal models of anxiety (Experiment 1). To verify the role of Y2 in mediating the observed effects, rats were pre-infused with the potent and highly selective Y2 antagonist BIIE 0246 prior to infusion with NPY13-36 (Experiment 2). Infusions of NPY13-36 into the lateral septum increased rats' open-arm exploration in the elevated plus-maze test (p