The role of neurochemical mechanisms of ventromedial hypothalamus in various models of anxiety in rats.

Microinjections of glutamic acid, serotonin, and sulpiride in the ventromedial hypothalamus reduced anxiety in an illuminated platform avoidance task in rats, while dopamine, apomorphine, picrotoxin, and memantine increased it. Similar injections of phenylephrine and yohimbine reduced anxiety in threatening situation task only, while GABA reduced it in both tasks. It is suggested that various emotional and stress phenotypes are realized through functionally different neurochemical mechanisms of ventromedial hypothalamus.