The effects of µ-opioid receptor activation on GABAergic synaptic transmission within the orbital frontal cortex

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dc.contributor.advisorBorgland, Stephanie Laureen
dc.contributor.authorAmbrose, Brittany Pauline
dc.contributor.committeememberBains, Jaideep
dc.contributor.committeememberWilson, Richard J. A.
dc.date2019-06
dc.date.accessioned2019-01-14T19:41:40Z
dc.date.available2019-01-14T19:41:40Z
dc.date.issued2019-01-09
dc.description.abstractThe orbital frontal cortex (OFC) plays a critical role in evaluating outcomes in a changing environment. Several studies have demonstrated that administering opioids can alter reward valuation and action selection. More specifically, µ-opioid activation within the OFC has been shown to enhance both consumption of food rewards and the hedonic reaction to them. Mechanistically, there is ample evidence confirming that µ-opioid agonists act pre-synaptically to disinhibit the output of other cortical regions; however, the precise cellular mechanism of µ-opioid signalling across the OFC remains unknown. Thus, we investigated the cellular actions of µ-opioids within the medial and lateral OFC. Using in-vitro patch clamp electrophysiology in brain slices containing the OFC, I found a dose-dependant effect of µ-opioid receptor (MOR) activation on GABAergic synaptic transmission within the medial, but not lateral, OFC. Furthermore, this effect occurred via decreased pre-synaptic release probability of GABA onto pyramidal neurons, consistent with actions of µ-opioids in other cortical regions. Preliminary data also suggest µ-opioid agonists are acting on parvalbumin-positive subpopulations of interneurons. The findings of this study further elucidate the effects of MOR activity on synaptic transmission within the OFC, which remains largely understudied. Importantly, understanding the interaction between the OFC and the opioid system may reveal new mechanisms of action in disorders of aberrantly motivated behaviours.en_US
dc.identifier.citationAmbrose, B. P. (2019). The effects of µ-opioid receptor activation on GABAergic synaptic transmission within the orbital frontal cortex (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/35715
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/109451
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisher.facultyCumming School of Medicineen_US
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.en_US
dc.subjectOrbital frontal cortex, opioid, DAMGO, µ-opioid receptor, inhibitory synaptic transmissionen_US
dc.subject.classificationNeuroscienceen_US
dc.titleThe effects of µ-opioid receptor activation on GABAergic synaptic transmission within the orbital frontal cortexen_US
dc.typemaster thesisen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineMedicine – Neuroscienceen_US
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgaryen_US
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (MSc)en_US
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrue
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