Evaluation of an Angiotensin Type 1 Receptor Blocker on the Reconsolidation of Fear Memory

Inhibition of the angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1R) has been shown to decrease fear responses in both humans and rodents. These effects are attributed to modulation of extinction learning, however the contribution of AT1R to alternative memory processes remains unclear. Using classic Pavlovian conditioning combined with radiotelemetry and whole-genome RNA sequencing, we evaluated the effects of the AT1R antagonist losartan on fear memory reconsolidation. Following the retrieval of conditioned auditory fear memory, animals were given a single intraperitoneal injection of losartan or saline. In response to the conditioned stimulus (CS), losartan injected animals exhibited significantly less freezing at 24hrs and 1 week; an effect that was dependent upon memory reactivation and independent of conditioned cardiovascular reactivity. Transcriptomic analysis of the basolateral amygdala (BLA), using an unbiased whole-genome RNA sequencing approach, identified losartan-dependent differences in gene expression during the reconsolidation phase. These findings demonstrate that post-retrieval AT1R blockade modifies behavioral and transcriptomic markers of conditioned fear memory, supporting a role for this receptor in reconsolidation and as a potential pharmacotherapeutic target for maladaptive fear disorders such as PTSD.