Excitatory amino acid receptors in the basolateral amygdala regulate anxiety responses in the social interaction test.

Blocking GABA(A) receptors in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) elicits increases in heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP) and anxiety responses by enhancing a glutamate mediated excitation. The present study was conducted to determine the role of the ionotropic glutamate receptors within the BLA in regulating HR, BP and experimental anxiety. Blocking basal glutamate excitation had no significant effect on HR or BP, but did elicit a significant anxiolytic-like effect.