Glucose-monitoring neurons in the nucleus accumbens.
The nucleus accumbens, a key structure of the limbic circuitry, is involved in the regulation of motivated behaviors. The accumbens performs its roles via interconnections with brain areas where glucose-monitoring neurons have been localized. To search for such integrative chemosensory cells here, extracellular single neuron activity was recorded in the nucleus accumbens of Wistar rats by means of multibarreled glass microelectrodes during microelectrophoretic administration of D-glucose and other chemicals. Every fourth neuron tested changed in activity in response to glucose. Accumbens cells also displayed distinct gamma-amino-n-butyric acid type sensitivity. It is suggested that differential distribution of the chemosensory units, demonstrated between subdivisions of the nucleus accumbens, has particular significance with respect to functional dichotomy of the shell and core subregions.
Papp
Szilárd
S
Pécs University, Medical School, Institute of Physiology of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Pécs, Hungary. szilard.papp@aok.pte.hu
Lukáts
Balázs
B
Takács
Gábor
G
Szalay
Csaba
C
Karádi
Zoltán
Z
D000818:Animals; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000502:physiology; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D007478:Iontophoresis; D008297:Male; D008839:Microelectrodes; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology
D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D005947:Glucose