The Locus ceruleus, also spelled locus coeruleus, (Latin for 'the blue bit') is a nucleus in the brain stem apparently responsible for the physiological reactions involved in stress and panic. This nucleus is the major location of neurons that release norepinephrine throughout the brain.
The locuscoeruleus is located on the floor of the fourth ventricle in the anterior pons.
An important role for the locuscoeruleus in opiate physical dependence and withdrawal has been established at both the behavioral and electrophysiological levels: overactivation of locuscoeruleusneurons is both necessary and sufficient for producing many behavioral signs of opiate withdrawal.
We are overexpressing CREB or a dominant negative of CREB (mCREB) in the locuscoeruleus and studying the effects of these manipulations on opiate-induced behaviors as well as on the electrophysiological state of the neurons.
Noradrenergic neurons in the locuscoeruleus (LC) project homogeneously throughout the cerebral cortex, while dopaminergic afferents are mainly confined to discrete areas of the cortex, such as the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), anterior cingulate, rhinal and entorhinal cortices [1,2].
A standard bipolar stimulant electrode (Rhodes SNEX-100, Harvard Apparatus, Edenbridge, UK) was implanted in the locuscoeruleus (A -3.1, V -8.4, L ± 1.3 from lambda, entering at 15° angle), homolateral to the vertical probes or to the dialyzing portion of the horizontal probe.
Kawahara Y, Kawahara H, Westerink BHC: Comparison of the effects of hypotension and handling stress on the release of noradrenaline and dopamine in the locuscoeruleus and medial prefrontal cortex of the rat.
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