GABAergic neurons in the cerebral cortex of the brain of a lizard (Podarcis hispanica).

To check the occurrence of GABAergic neurons in a reptilian species, sections from brains of the lizard Podarcis hispanica were immunoreacted with an antibody to GABA. GABA-immunoreactive somata were found predominantly in the external and internal plexiform layers, some also in the granular layer of the medial, dorsomedial and dorsal cortices. GABAergic boutons were also found in the 3 layers; however, their densest distribution occurred in the granular layer and in the outer zone of the external plexiform layer. The distribution of GABAergic somata and boutons supports the suggestion that some areas of the cerebral cortex of reptiles may be homologous to parts of the hippocampus of the mammalian brain.