Our biochemical data indicate that repeated restraint stress exposure results in a transient increase in 2-AG levels in the BLA. These data, combined with our earlier studies demonstrating a sensitization to stress-induced elevation sin 2-AG (Patel et al, 2005b; Rademacher et al, 2008) suggest adaptations in 2-AG metabolism in the BLA confers BLA neurons with an enhanced ability to transiently maintain elevated levels of 2-AG in response to subsequent restraint exposure. We used whole-cell recordings from BLA neurons to test the hypothesis that this enhanced capacity to increase 2-AG levels in response to restraint stress translates into an enhanced capacity for 2-AG-mediated synaptic signaling.
