ArticleMolecular psychiatry2018
Diazepam actions in the VTA enhance social dominance and mitochondrial function in the nucleus accumbens by activation of dopamine D1 receptors.
Article in Molecular psychiatry, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 69 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
69 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 128 citations in OpenAlex.
- Stress and circulating cell-free mitochondrial DNA: A systematic review of human studies, physiological considerations, and technical recommendations.Mitochondrion · 2021Pooled it
- Energy-dependent modulation of nucleus accumbens output via K-ATP channel activity.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026Article
- Norepinephrine regulates hippocampal mitochondrial biogenesis via β2-adrenergic receptor signaling and PGC-1α.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026Article
- Brain mitochondria as key drivers of cognition and behaviour.Nature reviews. Neuroscience · 2026Review
- Mitochondrial calcium modulates odor-mediated behavioral plasticity in Caenorhabditis elegans.Molecules and cells · 2026Article
- Article
- Glutamatergic projections from the substantia nigra pars reticulata to the dorsal raphe nucleus regulate male social hierarchies.PLoS biology · 2026Article
- Serotonin modulates nucleus accumbens circuits to suppress aggression in mice.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Serotonin modulates nucleus accumbens circuits to suppress aggression.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- Deficiency of Shank3 in the nucleus accumbens reveals a loss of social-specific motivation.Communications biology · 2025Article
- Comprehensive characterization of chronic midazolam exposure on neonates and long-term neurodevelopment.Molecular psychiatry · 2025Article
- Providing alternative fuel for the brain in anorexia nervosa: a review of the literature on ketones and their effects on metabolism and the brain.Translational psychiatry · 2025Review
- Neurometabolic predictors of mental effort in the frontal cortex.Translational psychiatry · 2025Article
- Dopaminergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus may modulate social dominance in mice.Zoological research · 2025Article
- Potentiation of Nigra-Striatal Dopaminergic Projection Underpins Core Autism-Like Behaviors in Valproate-Exposed Mice.The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience · 2025Article
- Sex-specific effects of chronic unpredictable stress on mitochondrial function in the HPA axis in mice.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- Natural variations of adolescent neurogenesis and anxiety predict the hierarchical status of adult inbred mice.EMBO reports · 2025Article
- The Emerging Role of Brain Mitochondria in Fear and Anxiety.Current topics in behavioral neurosciences · 2025Review
- Mesocorticolimbic circuit mechanisms of social dominance behavior.Experimental & molecular medicine · 2024Review
- The effects of different types of social interactions on the electrophysiology of neurons in the nucleus accumbens in rodents.Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews · 2024Review
9 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Benzodiazepines can ameliorate social disturbances and increase social competition, particularly in high-anxious individuals. However, the neural circuits and mechanisms underlying benzodiazepines' effects in social competition are not understood. Converging evidence points to the mesolimbic system as a potential site of action for at least some benzodiazepine-mediated effects. Furthermore, mitochondrial function in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) has been causally implicated in the link between anxiety and social competitiveness. Here, we show that diazepam facilitates social dominance, ameliorating both the competitive disadvantage and low NAc mitochondrial function displayed by high-anxious rats, and identify the ventral tegmental area (VTA) as a key site of action for direct diazepam effects. We also show that intra-VTA diazepam infusion increases accumbal dopamine and DOPAC, as well as activity of dopamine D1- but not D2-containing cells. In addition, intra-NAc infusion of a D1-, but not D2, receptor agonist facilitates social dominance and mitochondrial respiration. Conversely, intra-VTA diazepam actions on social dominance and NAc mitochondrial respiration are blocked by pharmacological NAc micro-infusion of a mitochondrial complex I inhibitor or an antagonist of D1 receptors. Our data support the view that diazepam disinhibits VTA dopaminergic neurons, leading to the release of dopamine into the NAc where activation of D1-signaling transiently facilitates mitochondrial function, that is, increased respiration and enhanced ATP levels, which ultimately enhances social competitive behavior. Therefore, our findings critically involve the mesolimbic system in the facilitating effects of diazepam on social competition and highlight mitochondrial function as a potential therapeutic target for anxiety-related social dysfunctions.
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