title: Glutamic acid decarboxylase-like immunoreactive axon terminals in synaptic contact with mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus neurons in the rat.
abstract: The purpose of the present study was to obtain reliable evidence for the presence of gamma-aminobutyric acid-ergic (GABAergic) synapses upon mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus (MTN) neurons in the rat. For confocal laser-scanning microscopy, phosphate-activated glutaminase-like immunoreactivity (-IR) of MTN neurons was visualized with red fluorescence of Texas Red, while glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)-IR of GABA axons was visualized with green fluorescence of dichlorotriazinyl aminofluorescein. Many GAD-axon terminals were in close apposition to the cell bodies of MTN neurons. For electron microscopy, MTN neurons were labeled with wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase injected into the masseter nerve, while axon terminals were labeled with GAD-IR. GAD-axon terminals were in symmetric synaptic contact with the cell bodies of MTN neurons. Primary proprioceptive neurons in the orofacial regions might be regulated post-synaptically by GABA neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, 710032, People's Republic of, Xi'an, China.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mizuno
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000166:cytology; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014278:Trigeminal Nuclei / Q000166:cytology*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase