TY - JOUR
T1 - Compartmental ordering of cholinergic innervation in the mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus in human brain
AU - Brandel, Jean Philippe A.
AU - Hirsch, Etienne C.
AU - Hersh, Louis B.
AU - Javoy-Agid, France
PY - 1990/5/7
Y1 - 1990/5/7
N2 - The cholinergic innervation of the mediodorsal (MD) nucleus of the thalamus was visualized immunohistochemically in human brain postmortem, using an antibody against human choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). The ChAT staining of the MD nucleus was more intense than in the surrounding thalamic nuclei but weaker than that of the striatum. No ChAT-positive cell bodies were detected. The ChAT-positive neuropil was unevenly distributed, with patches of dense immunoreactivity with a weaker surrounding matrix. In adjoining sections stained for ChAT immunoreactivity and for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, the zones enriched in AChAT-immunostained neuropil corresponded to AChE-rich regions. The three-dimensional reconstruction of the richest zone in AChE/ChAT activity evidenced a cylindrical organization throughout the rostrocaudal axis of the MD nucleus. Counts of ChAT-positive varicosities confirmed an inhomogeneous Distribution; the density of varicosities was 30% higher in ChAT-rich regions than in surrounding matrix. These findings suggest that the activity of intrinsic neurons within the nucleus may be differentially regulated by cholinergic systems.
AB - The cholinergic innervation of the mediodorsal (MD) nucleus of the thalamus was visualized immunohistochemically in human brain postmortem, using an antibody against human choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). The ChAT staining of the MD nucleus was more intense than in the surrounding thalamic nuclei but weaker than that of the striatum. No ChAT-positive cell bodies were detected. The ChAT-positive neuropil was unevenly distributed, with patches of dense immunoreactivity with a weaker surrounding matrix. In adjoining sections stained for ChAT immunoreactivity and for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, the zones enriched in AChAT-immunostained neuropil corresponded to AChE-rich regions. The three-dimensional reconstruction of the richest zone in AChE/ChAT activity evidenced a cylindrical organization throughout the rostrocaudal axis of the MD nucleus. Counts of ChAT-positive varicosities confirmed an inhomogeneous Distribution; the density of varicosities was 30% higher in ChAT-rich regions than in surrounding matrix. These findings suggest that the activity of intrinsic neurons within the nucleus may be differentially regulated by cholinergic systems.
KW - Choline acetyltransferase
KW - Human brain
KW - Immunohistochemistry
KW - Mediodorsal nucleus
KW - Thalamus
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/0025325060
UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0025325060&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/0006-8993(90)90585-Y
DO - 10.1016/0006-8993(90)90585-Y
M3 - Article
C2 - 2357550
AN - SCOPUS:0025325060
SN - 0006-8993
VL - 515
SP - 117
EP - 125
JO - Brain Research
JF - Brain Research
IS - 1-2
ER -