Corticosterone injection into the basolateral amygdala before and after memory reactivation impairs the subsequent expression of fear memory in rats: An interaction of glucocorticoids and β-adrenoceptors

Glucocorticoid administration, before or after fear memory reactivation, impairs subsequent fear memory expression, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. The present study examined the role of basolateral amygdala (BLA) β-adrenoceptors in the effects of intra-BLA corticosterone injection on fear memory in rats. Bilateral cannulae were implanted in the BLA of Wistar male rats. The rats were trained and tested using an inhibitory avoidance task (1 mA footshock for 3 s). Forty-eight hours after training, corticosterone (CORT, 5, 10, or 20 ng/0.5 µl/side) and the β2-adrenoceptor agonist clenbuterol (CLEN, 10 or 20 ng/0.5 µl/side) or the β-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol (PROP, 250 or 500 ng/0.5 µl/side) were injected into the BLA before or right after memory reactivation (retrieval, Test 1). We performed subsequent tests 2 (Test 2), 5 (Test 3), 7 (Test 4), and 9 (Test 5) days after Test 1. The results demonstrated that CORT injection before Test 1 disrupted memory retrieval and reduced fear expression in Tests 2–5, possibly due to enhanced extinction or impaired reconsolidation. CORT injection after Test 1 also impaired reconsolidation and reduced fear expression in Tests 2–5. CLEN prevented, but PROP exacerbated, the effects of CORT on fear expression. The reminder shock did not recover fear memory in CORT-treated animals, suggesting that reconsolidation, not extinction, was affected. These results indicate that glucocorticoids and β-adrenoceptors in the BLA jointly modulate fear memory reconsolidation and expression. Comprehending the neurobiology of stress and the impact of glucocorticoids on fear memory may lead to new treatments for stress and trauma-induced disorders such as PTSD.