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Anatomical and biochemical organization of the basal ganglia

University of British Columbia

The biochemistry and anatomy of various nuclei of the basal ganglia of the rat were investigated. The head of the striatum was found to project to the anterior globus pallidus (GP) and to the entopeduncular nucleus (EP). A projection from the anterior striatum to the substantia nigra (SN) was confirmed. The tail of the striatum was found to project to the posterior part of the GP. No anatomical evidence was obtained for a projection from the tail of the striatum to the EP. The posterior striatum was found to project to the lateral SN. Biochemically, the presence of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) in the projection from the head of the striatum to the GP has been confirmed. The head and tail of the striatum were found to project GAD-containing fibers to the EP. While the absence of nigral GAD-containing afferents originating in the anterior striatum has been confirmed, it was found that the SN does receive such afferents from more posterior regions of the striatum. The SN was found to be devoid of a GAD-containing input from the GP. The EP efferents to the habenula were found to be GAD-containing. Preliminary evidence was obtained for the presence of cholinergic fibers in the striatal projections to the GP and EP. The cellular localization of various enzyme systems in the SN and of the dopamine (DA) receptor in the SN and striatum was investigated using kainic acid and 6-hydroxydopamine lesion techniques. It was concluded that choline acetyltransferase and DA-sensitive adenylate cyclase are contained in nigral afferents, acetylcholinesterase is contained in both nigral afferents and intrinsic neuronal elements and tyrosine hydroxylase is contained in nigral perikarya. The results concerning nigral GAD were inconclusive. Evidence was obtained for the existence of DA receptors on DA-containing neurons in the SN and their terminals in the striatum.

Text

2010-03-15

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/21911

Neuroscience

University of British Columbia

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