title: Anterograde and retrograde tracing with high molecular weight biotinylated dextran amine through thalamocortical and corticothalamic pathways.
abstract: Biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) has been used for neural pathway tracing in the central nervous system for many decades, in which high molecular weight BDA appeared to be transported predominantly in the anterograde direction and less in the retrograde direction. In the current study, we reexamined the properties of neural labeling with high molecular weight BDA through a reciprocal neural pathway between thalamus and somatosensory cortex. After injection of BDA into the ventral posteromedial nucleus of thalamus (VPM) in the rat, the BDA labeling was sequentially examined on somatosensory cortex at 3, 5, 7, 10, and 14 survival days. Both of anterogradely labeled axonal terminals and retrogradely labeled neuronal cell bodies were observed simultaneously on the somatosensory cortex. With the increasing of survival times after injection, morphological changes occurred on the labeled axonal arbors and neuronal dendrites, in which the high quality of BDA labeling appeared on the tenth survival day. These results indicate that high molecular weight BDA is not only a sensitive anterograde tracer but also an excellent retrograde marker to be used for tracing through thalamocortical and corticothalamic pathways. And the detailed structure of neural labeling with BDA similar to Golgi-like resolution can be obtained at optimal survival times of animals after the injection of high molecular weight BDA.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Acupuncture of Guangdong Procince, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China.|Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
authors.forename: Wenjie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
authors.forename: Dongsheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
authors.forename: Jingjing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
authors.forename: Xianghong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jing
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Acupuncture of Guangdong Procince, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
authors.forename: Nenggui
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Acupuncture of Guangdong Procince, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
authors.forename: Jianhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
authors.forename: Wanzhu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001710:Biotin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry; D003911:Dextrans / Q000737:chemistry*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D056347:Neuroanatomical Tract-Tracing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D013788:Thalamus / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D003911:Dextrans; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; C076397:biotinylated dextran amine; D001710:Biotin
keywords: anterograde tracer; biotinylated dextran amine; fluorescence; morphology; retrograde tracer