Histaminergic projections from the premammillary and posterior hypothalamic region to the caudate-putamen complex in the rat.

Immunofluorescence, using antibodies to histamine and to histidine decarboxylase, was combined with retrograde axonal tracing by injecting Granular Blue into the caudate-putamen complex. Evidence is presented for the existence of histaminergic as well as non-histaminergic projections from the posterior hypothalamus and the premammillary region to the caudate-putamen complex. The majority of the histaminergic neurons projecting to this brain region are localized in the nuclei caudalis magnocellularis and caudalis magnocellularis postmammillaris. Roughly 20-25% of the histaminergic neurons in these cell groups innervate the caudate-putamen complex.