Short communicationInjections of the somatostatin receptor type 2 agonist L-054,264 into the amygdala block expression but not acquisition of conditioned fear in rats

•The amygdala is important for acquisition and expression of conditioned fear.•SSTR2 is expressed in the amygdala, however, its role is poorly understood.•We show that amygdaloid SSTR2 is important for the expression of conditioned fear.•However, amygdaloid SSTR2 seems to play no role in fear acquisition.

The amygdala is a crucial brain site for acquisition and expression of conditioned fear. Neuropeptides such as somatostatin play a critical role in regulating the activity of the amygdala. In the present study, the specific somatostatin receptor type 2 (SSTR2) agonist L-054,264 was injected into the amygdala of rats either before fear acquisition or before the expression test on conditioned fear measured by fear-potentiated startle. L-054,264 injections strongly attenuated fear expression but did not affect fear acquisition. This suggests that amygdaloid SSTR2 plays an important role in the modulation of fear memory expression.