scholarly journals Enhanced Endocannabinoid-Mediated Modulation of Rostromedial Tegmental Nucleus Drive onto Dopamine Neurons in Sardinian Alcohol-Preferring Rats

2014 ◽  
Vol 34 (38) ◽  
pp. 12716-12724 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Melis ◽  
C. Sagheddu ◽  
M. De Felice ◽  
A. Casti ◽  
C. Madeddu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dopamine Neurons ◽  
Tegmental Nucleus ◽  
Rostromedial Tegmental Nucleus

scholarly journals Habenula-Induced Inhibition of Midbrain Dopamine Neurons Is Diminished by Lesions of the Rostromedial Tegmental Nucleus

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 217-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Leon Brown ◽  
Heather Palacorolla ◽  
Dana Brady ◽  
Katelyn Riegger ◽  
Greg I. Elmer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dopamine Neurons ◽  
Tegmental Nucleus ◽  
Rostromedial Tegmental Nucleus ◽  
Midbrain Dopamine ◽  
Midbrain Dopamine Neurons

scholarly journals Habenula-Induced Inhibition of Midbrain Dopamine Neurons Is Diminished by Lesions of the Rostromedial Tegmental Nucleus

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 217-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Leon Brown ◽  
Heather Palacorolla ◽  
Dana Brady ◽  
Katelyn Riegger ◽  
Greg I. Elmer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dopamine Neurons ◽  
Tegmental Nucleus ◽  
Rostromedial Tegmental Nucleus ◽  
Midbrain Dopamine ◽  
Midbrain Dopamine Neurons

scholarly journals Nicotine Increases Spontaneous Glutamate Release in the Rostromedial Tegmental Nucleus

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Castillo-Rolón ◽  
Enrique Ramírez-Sánchez ◽  
Gabina Arenas-López ◽  
Julieta Garduño ◽  
Omar Hernández-González ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors ◽  
Acetylcholine Receptors ◽  
Calcium Release ◽  
Imaging Techniques ◽  
Glutamate Release ◽  
Dopamine Neurons ◽  
Lateral Habenula ◽  
Tegmental Nucleus ◽  
Rostromedial Tegmental Nucleus ◽  
Tegmental Nuclei

The rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) is a bilateral structure localized in the brainstem and comprise of mainly GABAergic neurons. One of the main functions of the RMTg is to regulate the activity of dopamine neurons of the mesoaccumbens pathway. Therefore, the RMTg has been proposed as a modulator of the reward system and adaptive behaviors associated to reward learning. The RMTg receives an important glutamatergic input from the lateral habenula. Also, it receives cholinergic inputs from the laterodorsal and pedunculopontine tegmental nuclei. Previously, it was reported that nicotine increases glutamate release, evoked by electric stimulation, in the RMTg nucleus. However, the mechanisms by which nicotine induces this effect were not explored. In the present work, we performed electrophysiological experiments in brainstem slices to study the effect of nicotine on spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents recorded from immunocytochemically identified RMTg neurons. Also, we used calcium imaging techniques to explore the effects of nicotine on multiple RMTg neurons simultaneously. We found that nicotine promotes the persistent release of glutamate through the activation of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors present on glutamatergic afferents and by a mechanism involving calcium release from intracellular stores. Through these mechanisms, nicotine increases the excitability and synchronizes the activity of RMTg neurons. Our results suggest that the RMTg nucleus mediates the noxious effects of the nicotine, and it could be a potential therapeutic target against tobacco addiction.

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