Postnatal increase of GABA- and PV-IR cells in the cerebral cortex of the lizard Podarcis hispanica.
The number and distribution of GABA- and parvalbumin (PV)-immunoreactive (IR) cells have been studied by immunocytochemistry in the cerebral cortex of newborn and adult lizards. The distribution of GABA-IR cells as well as that of PV-IR cells were similar in newborn and adult lizards, and PV-IR cells were GABA-IR in all cases. However, the absolute number of GABA- and PV-IR cells increased significantly during development. In addition, the rate of of GABA-IR cells also displaying PV immunoreactivity also increased after birth. Moreover, dendrites were rarely found to be PV-IR in newborn lizards, whereas they appeared stained in a Golgi-like manner in adult animals. These results suggest that the GABAergic neuronal population of the cerebral cortex of lizards experiments a significant increment in number and neurochemical maturation after birth.
Martínez-Guijarro
F J
FJ
Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Valencia, Burjasot, Spain.
Blasco-Ibáñez
J M
JM
López-García
C
C
D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008116:Lizards / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry*; D010320:Parvalbumins / Q000032:analysis*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000032:analysis*
D010320:Parvalbumins; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid