Postnatal development of the noradrenergic system in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of the rat.
The noradrenergic innervation of the developing dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of the rat was examined with light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry. At birth, few, relatively thick, noradrenergic fibers innervated the nucleus. Their density was steadily increased and they became thinner, tortuous, and varicose with the progression of age. Only a minority (11-15%) of labeled varicosities made synaptic contacts. Most of these synapses were symmetrical and on dendritic shafts. The present findings demonstrate the establishment of the anatomical relationships between noradrenergic afferents and neurons of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus during development and may help to understand the role of noradrenaline in the processing of visual information.
Latsari
Maria
M
Department of Anatomy, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.
Antonopoulos
John
J
Dori
Ioanna
I
Chiotelli
Maria
M
Dinopoulos
Athanasios
A
D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D005829:Geniculate Bodies / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000379:methods; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism*; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013569:Synapses / Q000648:ultrastructure
D009638:Norepinephrine