Projection of neurotensin-like immunoreactive neurons from the lateral parabrachial area to the central amygdaloid nucleus of the rat with reference to the coexistence with calcitonin gene-related peptide.

The origin of neurotensin-like immunoreactive (NTI) fibers in the central amygdaloid nucleus (AC) in the rat was examined using indirect immunofluorescence and retrograde tracing combined with immunocytochemistry. Destruction of the external subdivision of the lateral parabrachial nucleus, which contains a group of NTI neurons, resulted in a marked reduction of these fibers in the ipsilateral AC, which suggests that most of these fibers are of extrinsic origin. This was also supported by the finding that injection of fast blue dye into the AC labeled many neurons in the external subdivision of the lateral parabrachial nucleus ipsilaterally, and that simultaneous treatment with antiserum against NT stained some of these neurons. Subsequent immunohistochemical staining of alternate sections revealed that many of these NTI neurons were also labeled by calcitonin gene-related peptide antiserum.