title: Chemical anatomy of the human paraventricular thalamic nucleus.
abstract: The paraventricular thalamic nucleus (Pa) lies in the most medial aspect of the thalamus and is considered one of the midline thalamic nuclei. In the present study, we carried out histochemical and immunohistochemical procedures in the Pa of normal individuals to visualize the pattern of distribution of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), calbindin D-28k (CB), parvalbumin (PV), calretinin (CR), limbic system-associated membrane protein (LAMP), substance P (SP), and enkephalin (ENK). Other cytoarchitectural and myeloarchitectural techniques, such as Nissl and Gallyas, were also employed to delineate the boundaries of the Pa. The main findings of this study are: 1) AChE staining in the Pa was heterogeneously distributed along its anteroposterior and mediolateral axes; 2) the Pa harbored numerous CB- and CR-immunoreactive (ir) cells and neuropil, but this nucleus was largely devoid of PV; 3) the Pa was highly enriched in LAMP and this protein appeared uniformly distributed through its whole extent; and, 4) the SP and ENK immunoreactivities in the Pa revealed numerous highly varicose fibers scattered throughout this nucleus, but no stained cells. This morphological study demonstrates that the Pa is a heterogeneous chemical structure in humans. The functional significance of these results is discussed in the light of similar data gathered in several mammalian species.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Morfología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Uroz
authors.forename: Lucía
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Prensa
authors.forename: José Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Giménez-Amaya
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism; D000368:Aged; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D064032:Calbindin 2; D064026:Calbindins; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / Q000378:metabolism; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005292:Ferricyanides / Q000378:metabolism; D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins; D006651:Histocytochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020644:Midline Thalamic Nuclei / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D010320:Parvalbumins / Q000378:metabolism; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G / Q000378:metabolism; D016622:Silver Staining; D013373:Substance P / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C576764:CALB2 protein, human; D064032:Calbindin 2; D064026:Calbindins; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal; D004745:Enkephalins; D005292:Ferricyanides; D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins; D010320:Parvalbumins; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G; C095362:limbic system-associated membrane protein; D013373:Substance P; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; C028033:potassium ferricyanide