GABAergic signaling within the basolateral amygdala complex modulates resistance to the labilization/reconsolidation process

Abstract

It is well known that stress can affect mnemonic processes. In particular, stress before contextual fear conditioning induces a memory which exhibits resistance to being interfered with by Midazolam (MDZ) when applied after memory retrieval. Moreover, stress exposure strongly affects GABAergic transmission within the Basolateral Amygdala Complex (BLA), a brain structure critically involved in fear memory processing. The present study evaluated the involvement of GABAergic signaling within the BLA on the induction of resistance to memory reconsolidation interference. Results showed that MDZ administered intra-BLA before stress prevented the induction of resistance to the interfering effect of systemic administration of both MDZ and Propranolol on fear memory reconsolidation, when both applied after memory retrieval. The blockade of amygdala GABA-A receptors by the antagonist Bicuculline (BIC) before memory encoding induced resistance to interference by post-recall MDZ administration, similarly to that observed with stress exposure. Additionally, the systemic administration of D-cycloserine, a positive allosteric modulator of NMDA receptor, reverted the BIC-induced resistance to the MDZ interfering effect, in the same manner as that reported with stress-induced resistance. In summary, these results suggest that the GABAergic signaling in the BLA at the moment of memory encoding is determinant for the induction of fear memory resistance to the onset of the labilization/reconsolidation process.