TY  - JOUR
A1  - Massi, Léma
A1  - Elezgarai, Izaskun
A1  - Puente, Nagore
A1  - Reguero, Leire
A1  - Grandes, Pedro
A1  - Manzoni, Olivier J.
A1  - Georges, François
T1  - Cannabinoid Receptors in the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis Control Cortical Excitation of Midbrain Dopamine Cells In Vivo
Y1  - 2008/10/15 
JF  - The Journal of Neuroscience 
JO  - The Journal of Neuroscience 
SP  - 10496 
EP  - 10508 
DO  - 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2291-08.2008 
VL  - 28 
IS  - 42 
UR  - http://www.jneurosci.org/content/28/42/10496.abstract 
N2  - The endocannabinoid system is involved in multiple physiological functions including reward. Cannabinoids potently control the activity of midbrain dopamine cells, but the contribution of cortical projections in this phenomenon is unclear. We show that the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) efficient relays cortical excitation to dopamine neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Anatomical and in vivo electrophysiological evidence demonstrate that excitatory projections arising exclusively from the infralimbic cortex converge on BNST neurons, which in turn project to and excite >80% VTA dopamine cells. At the ultrastructural level, cannabinoid type 1 receptors are detected within the BNST on axon terminals arising from the infralimbic cortex. We found that intra-BNST infusion of a cannabinoid agonist inhibits the firing of dopamine cells evoked by stimulation of the infralimbic cortex. Our data identify a new neuronal substrate for the actions of cannabinoids in the reward pathway. 
ER  -