title: A novel subpopulation of 5-HT type 3A receptor subunit immunoreactive interneurons in the rat basolateral amygdala.
abstract: The amygdalar basolateral nuclear complex (BLC) has very high levels of the 5-HT type 3 receptor (5-HT(3)R). Previous studies have reported that 5-HT(3)R protein in the BLC is expressed in interneurons and that 5-HT(3)R mRNA is coexpressed with GABA and certain neuropeptides or calcium-binding proteins in these cells. However, there have been no detailed descriptions of the distribution of 5-HT(3)R+ neurons in the rat amygdala, and no quantitative studies of overlap of neurons expressing 5-HT(3)R protein with distinct interneuronal subpopulations in the BLC. The present investigation employed dual-labeling immunohistochemistry using antibodies to the 5-HT-3A receptor subunit (5-HT(3A)R) and specific interneuronal markers to address these questions. These studies revealed that there was a moderate density of nonpyramidal 5-HT(3A)R+ neurons in the BLC at all levels of the amygdala. In addition, immunostained cells were also seen in anterior portions of the cortical and medial nuclei. Although virtually all 5-HT(3A)R+ neurons in the BLC were GABA+, very few expressed neuropeptide or calcium-binding protein markers for individual subpopulations. The main interneuronal marker expressed by 5-HT(3A)R+ neurons was cholecystokinin (CCK), but only 8-16% of 5-HT(3)R+ neurons in the BLC, depending on the nucleus, were CCK+. Most of these CCK+/5-HT(3A)R+ double-labeled neurons appeared to belong to the subpopulation of large type L CCK+ interneurons. Very few 5-HT(3A)R+ neurons expressed calretinin, vasoactive intestinal peptide, or parvalbumin, and none expressed somatostatin or calbindin. Thus, the great majority of neurons expressing 5-HT(3A)R protein appear to constitute a previously unrecognized subpopulation of GABAergic interneurons in the BLC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mascagni
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: McDonald
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002766:Cholecystokinin / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007395:Interneurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D044406:Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D021122:Protein Subunits; D044406:Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT3; D012701:Serotonin; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D002766:Cholecystokinin