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Role of glucocorticoids on noradrenergic and dopaminergic neurotransmission within the basolateral amygdala and dentate gyrus during morphine withdrawal place aversion

Aversive memories related to drug withdrawal can generate a motivational state leading to compulsive drug taking. However, the mechanisms underlying the generation of these withdrawal memories remain unclear. Limbic structures, such as the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus, play a crucial role in the negative affective component of morphine withdrawal. Given the prominent role of glucocorticoids (GCs), noradrenaline (NA), and dopamine (DA) in memory‐related processes, in the present study, we employed the conditioned place aversion (CPA) paradigm to uncover the role of GCs on NA and DA neurotransmission within the BLA and NA neurotransmission within the DG during opiate‐withdrawal conditioning (memory formation consolidation), and after reexposure to the conditioned environment (memory retrieval). We observed that adrenalectomy impaired naloxone‐induced CPA. Memory retrieval was associated with an increase in dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) levels in the BLA in morphine‐addicted animals in a GC‐independent manner. Importantly, NA turnover was related with the expression of withdrawal physical signs during the conditioning phase and with locomotor activity during the test phase. On the other hand, reduced DA concentration in the BLA was correlated with the CPA score. Our results indicate that while noradrenergic system is more associated with the somatic consequences of withdrawal, dopaminergic neurotransmission modulates the affective state. Nevertheless, it seems necessary that both systems work together with GCs to enable aversive‐memory formation and recall.