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Somatostatin-IR neurons are a major subpopulation of the cuneothalamic neurons in the rat cuneate nucleus.
- Source :
-
Neuroscience research [Neurosci Res] 2000 Oct; Vol. 38 (2), pp. 199-207. - Publication Year :
- 2000
-
Abstract
- This study was aimed to localize and characterize the somatostatin-immunoreactive (SOM-IR) neurons in the rat cuneate nucleus (CN). By immuno-histochemistry, the SOM-IR neurons, which were widely distributed in the nucleus, were round, spindle or multiangular in shape (mean area = 226.1 +/ -3.1 microm(2), n = 1016). By electron microscopy, the neurons shared all the ultrastructural features of the cuneothalamic neurons (CTNs) which showed a slightly indented nucleus and a fairly rich cytoplasm containing well-developed Golgi apparatuses and rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER). The SOM immunoreaction product filled the cytoplasm of the neurons extending from the soma to the proximal and distal dendrites, which were postsynaptic to unlabeled boutons. In addition to soma and dendrites, SOM-IR boutons were also identified which made axodendritic synaptic contacts with SOM-IR dendrites. The SOM-IR neurons were characterized by using anti-SOM pre-embedding immunolabeling coupled with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) retrograde method, or SOM immunolabeling along with anti-glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) or glycine post-embedding immunolabeling for identification of CTNs, glutamate-IR, GABA-IR and glycine-IR neurons, respectively. It was shown that more then 80% of the CTNs contained SOM and, furthermore, they contained glutamate but not GABA or glycine. On the basis of present findings, it is suggested the majority of the SOM-IR neurons in the rat CN are CTNs and that they may be involved in modulation of somatosensory synaptic transmission.
- Subjects :
- Animals
Cytoplasm metabolism
Cytoplasm ultrastructure
Female
Glutamic Acid metabolism
Glycine metabolism
Horseradish Peroxidase
Immunohistochemistry
Male
Medulla Oblongata cytology
Microscopy, Electron
Neurons cytology
Neurons ultrastructure
Rats
Rats, Wistar
Thalamus cytology
gamma-Aminobutyric Acid metabolism
Medulla Oblongata metabolism
Neurons metabolism
Somatostatin metabolism
Thalamus metabolism
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0168-0102
- Volume :
- 38
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Neuroscience research
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 11000447
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/s0168-0102(00)00161-9