The aim of this study was to track the immunoreactivity of parvalbumin and calbindin D28k buffering proteins in neurons of the dorsal raphe nucleus DRN of the adult male chinchilla. The reaction of peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) using specific antibodies against these proteins was performed. In most neurons, with the exception of small oval and medium-sized, stellate neurons, weak immunostaini...

This communication provides an update of our understanding of the neurological bases for the close association between balance control and anxiety. New data suggest that a vestibulo-recipient region of the parabrachial nucleus (PBN) contains cells that respond to body rotation and position relative to gravity. The PBN, with its reciprocal relationships with the extended central amygdaloid nucle...

The raphe nuclei provide serotonergic innervation widely in the brain, thought to mediate a variety of neuromodulatory effects. The mammalian olfactory bulb (OB) is a prominent recipient of serotonergic fibers, particularly in the glomerular layer (GL), where they are thought to gate incoming signals from the olfactory nerve. The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) and the median raphe nucleus (MRN) are...

We have studied the distribution of neurokinin A-like immunoreactive cell bodies and fibers in the cat brainstem. The densest clusters of perikarya containing the peptide were observed in the periaqueductal gray, inferior colliculus, postpyramidal nucleus of the raphe, medial nucleus of the solitary tract and in the lateral reticular nucleus. By contrast, the interpeduncular nucleus, magnocellu...

Using in vivo microdialysis, we compared the effects of tianeptine (an antidepressant drug which, in marked contrast with other antidepressants, is thought to increase the uptake of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) on extracellular 5-HT concentrations ([5-HT](ext)) in the frontal cortex and raphe nuclei of freely moving rats with those of paroxetine, a potent selective serotonin reuptake i...

Altered thyroid statuses are associated with autonomic disorders. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) in medullary nuclei regulates vagal efferent activity. Induction of Fos-like immunoreactivity (IR) in medullary TRH-synthesizing neurons was investigated in 24-h fasted rats with different thyroid statuses. Hypo- and hyperthyroidism were induced by 6- N-propyl-2-thiouracil (PTU) in drinking wat...

The kynurenine (KYN) pathway, which is initiated by indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO), is a key tryptophan (TRP) metabolic pathway. It shares TRP with the serotonin (5-HT) pathway. Because activation of the KYN pathway by proinflammatory cytokines induces depressive symptoms, shifts in the balance of TRP metabolism to the KYN pathway are closely related to the etiology of depression. In the pr...

The mu, delta, and kappa opioid receptors are the three main types of opioid receptors found in the central nervous system (CNS) and periphery. These receptors and the peptides with which they interact are important in a number of physiological functions, including analgesia, respiration, and hormonal regulation. This study examines the expression of mu, delta, and kappa receptor mRNAs in the r...

To investigate the release profile of met-enkephalin, β-endorphin, and dynorphin-A in ruminants' CNS, goats were stimulated by electroacupuncture of 0, 2, 40, 60, 80, or 100 Hz for 30 min. The pain threshold was measured using potassium iontophoresis. The peptide levels were determined with SABC immunohistochemisty. The results showed that 60 Hz increased pain threshold by 91%; its increasing r...

No previous report in any species has examined comprehensively the projections of the median raphe (MR) nucleus with modern tracing techniques. The present report represents an in depth analysis of the projections of MR by use of the anterograde anatomical tracer Phaseolus vulgaris-leucoagglutinin. MR fibers descend along the midline within the brainstem and mainly ascend within the medial fore...