The morphology of somatostatin-immunoreactive neurons in the lateral nucleus of the rat amygdala.
Three types of somatostatin-immunoreactive neurons are described in the lateral nucleus of the rat amygdala. These three types closely correspond to neurons previously reported in Golgi preparations of the lateral nucleus. Class I somatostatin neurons have triangular- or piriform-shaped somata with large primary dendrites and spiny secondary dendrites. Class II somatostatin neurons have small to medium-sized oval perikarya and are fusiform or multipolar in shape. Class III somatostatin neurons have small spheroid somata with small thinner relatively aspinous dendrites. Class I somatostatin neurons give rise to axons which project outside the lateral nucleus whereas class II and III neurons innervate other somatostatin-positive and non-somatostatin neurons within the lateral nucleus. Somatostatin neurons within the lateral nucleus are hypothesized to function as part of a network of somatostatin neurons extending from cortical regions through the amygdala to basal telencephalic and lower brain stem regions.
D000679:Amygdala / Q000166:cytology*; D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003712:Dendrites / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000032:analysis*
D013004:Somatostatin