Muscarinic M4 and M5 receptors in the ventral subiculum differentially modulate alcohol seeking versus consumption in male alcohol-preferring rats

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors mediate alcohol consumption and seeking in rats. While M4 and M5 receptors have recently been implicated to mediate these behaviours in the striatum, their role in other brain regions remain unknown. The ventral tegmental area (VTA) and ventral subiculum (vSub) both densely express M4 and M5 receptors and modulate alcohol-seeking, via their projections to the nucleus accumbens shell (AcbSh). Experimental Approach: In Indiana alcohol-preferring (iP) male rats, we examined Chrm4 (M4) and Chrm5 (M5) expression in the VTA and vSub following long-term alcohol consumption and abstinence using RT-qPCR. Using a combination of retrograde trac..