Effects of Peripheral Immune Challenge on In Vivo Firing of Basolateral Amygdala Neurons in Adult Male Rats.

Peripheral inflammation often causes changes in mood and emergence of depressive behavior, and is characterized by a group of physical manifestations including lethargy, malaise, listlessness, decreased appetite, anhedonia, and fever. These behavioral changes are induced at the molecular level by pro-inflammatory cytokines like interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is a key brain region involved in mood and may mediate some of the behavioral effects of inflammation. However, it is unknown whether peripheral inflammatory state affects the activity of BLA neurons. To test this, adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with IL-1β (1 μg, intraperitoneal (i.p.)), and behavioral and electrophysiological measures were obtained. IL-1β reduced locomotion in the open-field test and also reduced home-cage mobility, consistent with features of sickness-like behavior. Using in vivo single-unit extracellular electrophysiological recordings from anesthetized rats, we found that spontaneous BLA neuronal firing was acutely (<30 min) increased after IL-1β, followed by a return to baseline level, particularly in the basal nucleus of the BLA complex. To verify and expand on effects of peripheral inflammation, we tested whether another, long-lasting inflammagen also changes BLA neuronal firing. Lipopolysaccharide (250 μg/kg, i.p.) increased BLA firing rate acutely (<30 min) and persistently. The findings demonstrate a rapid effect of peripheral inflammation on BLA activity and suggest a link between BLA neuronal firing and triggering of behavioral consequences of peripheral inflammation. These findings are a first step toward understanding the neuronal basis of depressive behavior caused by acute peripheral inflammation.