Serotonergic, noradrenergic and galaninergic projections to the nucleus parafascicularis.
Immunocytochemical staining for serotonin (5-HT), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and galanin (GAL) was combined with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) retrograde tract-tracing technique to analyze the localizations of 5-HT-, catecholamine (CA)- and GAL-containing neurons in the brainstem which project to the nucleus parafascicularis (PF) in rats. It is demonstrated that most of the retrogradely HRP-labeled neurons (70%) in bilateral periaqueductal gray (PAG) and raphe nuclei are positively immunostained by antiserum to 5-HT, and that most of the retrogradely HRP-labeled neurons (over 80%) in bilateral locus coeruleus (LC) are positively immunostained by antisera to both TH and GAL. The possible functions of these PF-petal serotonergic, catecholaminergic (actually noradrenergic) and galaninergic projections are discussed.
Zhang
R X
RX
Department of Neurobiology, Shanxi Medical College, Taiyuan, P.R. China.
Mi
Z P
ZP
Xie
Y F
YF
Qiao
J T
JT
D000818:Animals; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D019004:Galanin; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000502:physiology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology*; D013787:Thalamic Nuclei / Q000502:physiology*
D010455:Peptides; D012701:Serotonin; D019004:Galanin; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase; D009638:Norepinephrine