Tanaka M, Ikeda T, Hayashi S, Iijima N, Amaya F, Hisa Y, Ibata Y
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Japan.
Brain Res. 1997 Nov 28;777(1-2):13-21. doi: 10.1016/s0006-8993(97)00948-7.
We investigated nitric oxide (NO)-producing neurons in the amygdala which project to the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the rat using retrograde tracing and NADPH-diaphorase histochemistry. Numerous NADPH-diaphorase positive neurons with moderate staining were observed mainly in the medial amygdaloid nucleus. We confirmed that these NADPH-diaphorase positive neurons are identical to NO synthase (NOS)-immunoreactive neurons by double staining with NADPH-diaphorase histochemistry and NOS immunocytochemistry. Most neurons containing cholera toxin B subunit (CTb) - which was retrogradely transported from the PVN - were observed in the medial amygdaloid nucleus. In other amygdaloid nuclei, they were observed much less in the central nucleus, basomedial and anterior cortical nucleus. Double labeled neurons by NADPH-diaphorase and CTb were also identified mostly in the medial nucleus. Approximately 40% of the neurons projecting to the PVN were nitrergic neurons and 16% of NADPH-diaphorase positive neurons in the medial nucleus were revealed to project to the PVN. These results suggest that NO-producing neurons in the medial amygdala directly innervate PVN neurons and regulate neuroendocrine systems such as vasopressin and corticotropin releasing factor release.
我们运用逆行追踪法和NADPH黄递酶组织化学方法，研究了大鼠杏仁核中投射至下丘脑室旁核（PVN）的一氧化氮（NO）生成神经元。主要在杏仁内侧核观察到大量染色适中的NADPH黄递酶阳性神经元。通过NADPH黄递酶组织化学和一氧化氮合酶（NOS）免疫细胞化学双重染色，我们证实这些NADPH黄递酶阳性神经元与NOS免疫反应性神经元相同。大部分含有从PVN逆行转运而来的霍乱毒素B亚单位（CTb）的神经元见于杏仁内侧核。在其他杏仁核中，中央核、基底内侧核和前皮质核中的此类神经元较少。NADPH黄递酶和CTb双标记神经元也大多见于内侧核。投射至PVN的神经元中约40%为一氧化氮能神经元，内侧核中16%的NADPH黄递酶阳性神经元投射至PVN。这些结果表明，杏仁内侧核中的NO生成神经元直接支配PVN神经元，并调节诸如血管加压素和促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子释放等神经内分泌系统。
