title: Cajal's nucleus of the stria medullaris: characterization by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry for enkephalin.
abstract: While analyzing the distribution of enkephalinergic neurons by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry in the septal region of untreated or colchicine-injected rats, a densely packed enkephalinergic group of neurons was identified that corresponds to a small nucleus first described by Cajal as the nucleus of the stria medullaris. It contains mostly irregular or fusiform small neurons differing from those in adjacent structures by their size, and by their intensity of staining with in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. The connections of this nucleus (which is called here the bed nucleus of the stria medullaris, BSM) are unclear, but evidence in the literature suggests that it may receive inputs from the fornix and project through the stria medullaris to the medial habenula.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles 90089-2520, USA.
authors.forename: P Y
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Risold
authors.forename: L W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Swanson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013787:Thalamic Nuclei / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004745:Enkephalins; D012333:RNA, Messenger