EN
Contralateral nucleus accumbens shell (AcbS) lesions (Contra group) impaired (by about 20%) and ipsilateral AcbS lesions (Ipsi group) facilitated (by about 30%) motivational aspects of ventral tegmental area (VTA) stimulation-induced feeding or exploration which manifested as respective alterations in latency to reaction. Present work was aimed to examine how this motivational reorganization of AcbSVTA circuitry affect on blood leukocytes and their subsets (morphological method). As compared to the respective sham animals, the chronic VTA stimulation and unilateral lesion of the AcbS caused a significant decrease in total leukocyte and lymphocyte numbers in Ipsi and Contra groups. Both groups showed also significant decreases in total leukocyte and lymphocyte numbers on the 2nd day after unilateral lesion of the AcbS. On the 14th VTA stimulation day following unilateral lesion of the AcbS total leukocyte and a large granular lymphocyte (LGL) number was higher in Ipsi group in relation to Contra group and in comparison with the respective sham group. Increased motivational drive associated with facilitation reactivity of the ipsilateral VTA to lesioning AcbS enhance total leukocyte number, especially LGL cells that are critical to the innate immune system.