Xinli Xu, Shuidiao Zheng, Jiayan Ren, Zixuan Li, Jinyan Li, Zhibin Xu, Feng Yuan, Qixing Yang, Alexander V Margetts, Tate A Pollock, Samara J Vilca, Canyu Yang, Gaowei Chen, Peilei Shen, Shupeng Li, Jianxun Xia, Chuyun Chen, Tao Zhou, Yingjie Zhu, Luis M Tuesta, Liping Wang, Paul J Kenny, Xin-An Liu, Zuxin Chen
Aversive stimuli activate corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-expressing neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus (PVNCRF neurons) and other brain stress systems to facilitate avoidance behaviors. Appetitive stimuli also engage the brain stress systems, but their contributions to reward-related behaviors are less well understood. Here, we show that mice work vigorously to optically activate PVNCRF neurons in an operant chamber, indicating a reinforcing nature of these neurons. The reinforcing property of these neurons is not mediated by activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis...
January 4, 2024: Current Biology: CB