Emotional Response and Corticoadrenal Function in Anterodorsal Thalami Nuclei Lesioned Rats

Abstract

In male and female rats, the effect of limbic anterodorsal thalami nuclei lesions (ADTN) on the emotional reactivity and their relationship with corticoadrenal function were studied. The emotional reactivity was evaluated by means of the open-field test and the corticoadrenal function by means of plasma anol adrenal corticosterone concentration. The results demonstrate that, on the 8th or 9th day after the lesion, the male rats show lack of habituation and the female ones, an increase in emotional reactivity. They also indicate that the lesion of ADTN does not affect the corticoadrenal response to exposure to novel situations.

Key Words:

• anterodorsal thalami nuclei
• plasma corticosterone
• adrenal
• open-field test
• sexual differences