title: Immunocytochemical studies of GABAergic neurons in rat basal ganglia and their relations to other neuronal systems.
abstract: GABAergic neurons were localized in the rat basal ganglia by glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) immunohistochemistry. In the striatum (caudato-putamen, accumbens nucleus) a medium density of GAD-positive terminals was observed; a small number of medium-to-large size neurons and the vast majority of medium-size neurons were GAD immunoreactive. In addition, opioid peptide-like immunoreactivity was colocalized in a subclass of GAD-positive medium-size striatal neurons. The pallido-nigral system (GP, VP, EP, SNR) displayed a high density of GAD-positive axon terminals which synapsed upon dendrites and nerve cell bodies. The majority of pallido-nigral neurons also were GAD-immunoreactive. In contrast, the substantia nigra pars compacta and the subthalamic nucleus contained only few GAD-immunoreactive neurons.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000201:enzymology*; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000201:enzymology; D004723:Endorphins / Q000378:metabolism; D005917:Globus Pallidus / Q000201:enzymology; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000378:metabolism*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009433:Neural Inhibition; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000201:enzymology; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000201:enzymology; D011699:Putamen / Q000201:enzymology; D051381:Rats; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000201:enzymology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission; D013787:Thalamic Nuclei / Q000201:enzymology; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004723:Endorphins; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase