Cortical Functional and Structural Analyses of Noradrenergic Signaling

Authors: Katie Vo, Misha Muneeb, Marcis Scoger, Ally Athanason, Andrea Liss, Mahum Siddiqi, Anushree Karkhanis, Florence Varodayan

Field of Study: Science, Technology, Engineering, and/or Math

Program Affiliation: Varodayan Lab

Faculty Mentors: Florence Varodayan

Easel: 77

Timeslot: Morning

Abstract: Norepinephrine (NE) signals through α1, α2 and β adrenergic receptors to regulate attention, motivation, and stress. During baseline conditions, the locus coeruleus (LC) releases low levels of NE into the prefrontal cortex (PFC), but during stressful situations like alcohol withdrawal, NE levels rise. Many studies investigating PFC NE signaling solely used male subjects, although women and female rodents have larger LCs than male counterparts. Therefore, potential sex differences were investigated in LC NE to medial PFC (mPFC) signaling using adult male and female mice. There were no sex differences in mPFC NE levels nor in α1 and β adrenergic receptor gene expression. Now, the size of the LC to mPFC pathway will be explored using a fluorescent retrograde tracer and immunofluorescence targeting the dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH) protein. These findings will further anatomical and biobehavioral understanding of the rodent brain and may explain sex-specific mPFC-related behaviors associated with AUD.