Paradoxical neurobehavioral rescue by cues associated with infant trauma: Amygdala 5-HT and CORT

We show that infant trauma, as modeled by infant paired odor-shock conditioning, results in later life depressive-like behavior that can be modulated by learned infant cues (i.e., odor previously paired with shock). We have previously shown that this infant attachment odor learning paradigm results in the creation of a new artificial maternal odor that is able to control pup behavior and retain its value throughout development. Here, we assess the mechanism by which this artificial maternal odor is able to rescue depressive-like behavior and show that this anti-depressant like effect results in glucocorticoid and serotonin (5-HT) related changes in amygdala gene expression and is dependent on amygdala 5-HT. Furthermore, increasing amygdala 5-HT and blocking corticosterone (CORT) in the absence of odor mimics the adult rescue effects elicited by the artificial maternal odor, suggesting a mechanism by which odor presentation exerts its repair effects.

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Rincón-Cortés M, Barr GA, Mouly AM, Shionoya K, Nuñez BS, Sullivan RM