Light and electron microscopic studies of calcitonin gene-related peptide-like immunoreactive terminals in the central nucleus of the amygdala and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis of the rat.

Light and electron microscopic analysis of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-like immunoreactive (LI) terminals in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) and the central nucleus of the amygdala (Ce) was carried out using the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method. CGRP-LI fibers were densely distributed in the dorsal subdivision of the lateral BST (BSTL) and the lateral and lateral capsular subdivisions of the Ce, where the CGRP-LI terminals formed symmetrical and asymmetrical axo-dendritic, and symmetrical axosomatic synapses. One of the most characteristic features of the CGRP-LI terminals was the presence of large, long boutons, each of which surrounded a cell soma and made many synaptic contacts. These findings suggest that CGRP exerts a significant influence on neurons in the BSTL and Ce.