Peterson G M, Moore R Y
Brain Res. 1980 Nov 24;202(1):165-82.
Injections of kainic acid (KA) into the lateral hypothalamus (LH) produce neuronal loss in this region without apparent damage to medial forebrain bundle fibers passing through the area. Cellular destruction is not limited to the LH; the neuronal loss in the thalamic reticular nucleus, the subthalamic nucleus and zona incerta is more extensive than that in the LH. Since all of the nuclei of ventral thalamic origin except the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus (VLGN) were destroyed by LH injections of KA, we sought to determine whether this nucleus also is sensitive to KA. Injections directly into the VLGN produce total neuronal loss here as well as in the thalamic reticular nucleus, zona incerta and subthalamic nucleus. Other areas showing cell loss are the dorsal LGN, medial geniculate, lateral portion of the ventrobasal complex and midline thalamic nuclei. Injections of KA into medial hypothalamus adjacent to the suprachiasmatic nucleus produced no neuronal degeneration. In addition, no neuronal loss was noted in medial hypothalamic nuclei lying adjacent to areas of LH in which KA was injected. Therefore, the sensitivity of diencephalic nuclei appears to range from highly sensitive regions such as derivatives of ventral thalamus and midline thalamic nuclei to regions of moderate sensitivity such as the LH, geniculate nuclei and ventrobasal thalamic nucleus, to regions resistant to KA toxicity such as the suprachiasmatic nucleus and other nuclei and areas of medial hypothalamus.
向外侧下丘脑（LH）注射海藻酸（KA）会导致该区域神经元丧失，而穿过该区域的内侧前脑束纤维无明显损伤。细胞破坏并不局限于LH；丘脑网状核、底丘脑核和未定带的神经元丧失比LH更广泛。由于除腹侧外侧膝状核（VLGN）外，所有丘脑腹侧起源的核都因向LH注射KA而被破坏，我们试图确定该核是否也对KA敏感。直接向VLGN注射会导致此处以及丘脑网状核、未定带和底丘脑核的神经元全部丧失。其他出现细胞丧失的区域是背侧LGN、内侧膝状体、腹基底复合体外侧部分和丘脑中线核。向视交叉上核附近的内侧下丘脑注射KA未产生神经元变性。此外，在与注射KA的LH区域相邻的内侧下丘脑核中未观察到神经元丧失。因此，间脑核的敏感性似乎范围很广，从高敏区域如下丘脑腹侧衍生物和丘脑中线核，到中等敏感区域如LH、膝状体核和腹基底丘脑核，再到对KA毒性有抗性的区域如视交叉上核以及内侧下丘脑的其他核和区域。
