Dual activation of cardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic components during conditioned fear to context in the rat

1. The present study investigates the contribution of the sympathetic and vagal parasympathetic systems to the tachycardic response of long-lasting (40 min) conditioned fear responses to context. 2. The conditioned fear response evoked by re-exposure to a footshock chamber was tested 10 min after intravenous injection of the beta-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol (2 mg/kg) or the muscarinic antagonist atropine methyl nitrate (2 mg/kg) in rats implanted with radiotelemetric probes. 3. Compared with saline controls, the drugs did not change the behavioural component of the response (freezing, 22 kHz ultrasonic vocalizations) or its pressor component (+28 mmHg). 4. Propranolol abolished the tachycardic response of fear, whereas atropine more than doubled it (from +75 to +175 b.p.m. above resting baseline). 5. The results demonstrate that both sympathetic and vagal parasympathetic outflows to the heart are strongly activated during conditioned fear. The vagal activation may act to hold back cardiac acceleration while the animal waits for the aversive stimulus to come.