title: Functional and ultrastructural neuroanatomy of interactive intratectal/tectonigral mesencephalic opioid inhibitory links and nigrotectal GABAergic pathways: involvement of GABAA and mu1-opioid receptors in the modulation of panic-like reactions elicited by electrical stimulation of the dorsal midbrain.
abstract: In the present study, the functional neuroanatomy of nigrotectal-tectonigral pathways as well as the effects of central administration of opioid antagonists on aversive stimuli-induced responses elicited by electrical stimulation of the midbrain tectum were determined. Central microinjections of naloxonazine, a selective mu(1)-opiod receptor antagonist, in the mesencephalic tectum (MT) caused a significant increase in the escape thresholds elicited by local electrical stimulation. Furthermore, either naltrexone or naloxonazine microinjected in the substantia nigra, pars reticulata (SNpr), caused a significant increase in the defensive thresholds elicited by electrical stimulation of the continuum comprised by dorsolateral aspects of the periaqueductal gray matter (dlPAG) and deep layers of the superior colliculus (dlSC), as compared with controls. These findings suggest an opioid modulation of GABAergic inhibitory inputs controlling the defensive behavior elicited by MT stimulation, in cranial aspects. In fact, iontophoretic microinjections of the neurotracer biodextran into the SNpr, a mesencephalic structure rich in GABA-containing neurons, show outputs to neural substrate of the dlSC/dlPAG involved with the generation and organization of fear- and panic-like reactions. Neurochemical lesion of the nigrotectal pathways increased the sensitivity of the MT to electrical (at alertness, freezing and escape thresholds) and chemical (blockade of GABA(A) receptors) stimulation, suggesting a tonic modulatory effect of the nigrotectal GABAergic outputs on the neural networks of the MT involved with the organization of the defensive behavior and panic-like reactions. Labeled neurons of the midbrain tectum send inputs with varicosities to ipsi and contralateral dlSC/dlPAG and ipsilateral substantia nigra, pars reticulata and compacta, in which the anterograde and retrograde tracing from a single injection indicates that the substantia nigra has reciprocal connections with the dlSC/dlPAG featuring close axo-somatic and axo-dendritic appositions in both locations. In addition, ultrastructural approaches show inhibitory axo-axonic synapses in MT and inhibitory axo-somatic/axo-axonic synapses in the SNpr. These findings, in addition to the psychopharmacological evidence for the interaction between opioid and GABAergic mechanisms in the cranial aspects of the MT as well as in the mesencephalic tegmentum, offer a neuroanatomical basis of a pre-synaptic opioid inhibition of GABAergic nigrotectal neurons modulating fear in defensive behavior-related structures of the cranial mesencephalon, in a short link, and through a major neural circuit, also in GABA-containing perikarya and axons of nigrotectal neurons.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroanatomy and Neuropsychobiology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto of the University of São Paulo FMRP-USP, Avenue of Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto SP 14049-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Ciscato
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: D'Angelo-Dias
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: T T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Felippotti
authors.forename: E C C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Rebouças
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Castellan-Baldan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: S A L
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Corrêa
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Coimbra
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001640:Bicuculline / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D018756:GABA Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009270:Naloxone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D009434:Neural Pathways; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010200:Panic / Q000502:physiology*; D010487:Periaqueductal Gray / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000378:metabolism*; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003336:Tectum Mesencephali / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018756:GABA Antagonists; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D009270:Naloxone; C017069:bicuculline methiodide; C034643:naloxonazine; D001640:Bicuculline