Chunk #31 — Discussion — Pharmacological activation of CB1 receptors within the BLA dampens HPA axis activation in response to stress

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Suppression of amygdalar endocannabinoid signaling by stress contributes to activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

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direct stimulation of the BLA can increase HPA axis activity (Szafarcyk et al., 1986; Feldman et al., 1982, 1983). Moreover, overexpression of the SK2 potassium channel in the BLA attenuates stress-induced corticosterone secretion (Mitra et al., 2009). These data suggest that activation of BLA projection neurons positively contribute to HPA axis activation during psychological stress, likely via projection relays to the MeA or BNST, which, in turn, communicate directly to the PVN (Herman et al., 2003, 2005; Ulrich-Lai and Herman, 2009).