title: Significant non-serotonergic raphe projection to the visual cortex of the rat. An immunohistochemical study combined with retrograde tracing.
abstract: The present study investigated the distribution of serotonergic and non-serotonergic raphe neurons with direct projections to the visual cortex. The study employed the WGA-apoHRP-Au retrograde transport technique combined with 5-HT immunohistochemical staining. Retrogradely labeled cells were observed in the dorsal raphe nucleus, the median raphe nucleus, and in the B9 and B6 cell groups. One notable finding was the great number of retrogradely labeled, non-5-HT immunoreactive cells. The average percentages of such cells in the various raphe regions were as follows: DR: 52% (n = 401); MR: 35% (n = 311); B9: 24% (n = 129); B6: 95% (n = 200). The present study demonstrated the presence of a significant proportion of non-serotonergic raphe region neurons projecting to the primary visual cortex in the rat. It is suggested that these neurons may complement the aminergic neurons as part of the ascending system which controls the functions of the visual cortex.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Shiga University of Medical Science.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakazawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kani
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maeda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006046:Gold; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D011903:Raphe Nuclei / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D016622:Silver Staining; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D018998:Wheat Germ Agglutinin-Horseradish Peroxidase Conjugate; D014909:Wheat Germ Agglutinins
chemical_list: D018998:Wheat Germ Agglutinin-Horseradish Peroxidase Conjugate; D014909:Wheat Germ Agglutinins; D006046:Gold; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase