Browsing by Subject "Extended amygdala"

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    Distribution of glutamate receptors in the posterodorsal medial amygdala of adult male rats
    (Universidad de Murcia. Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, 2015) Dalpian, Francine; Brusco, Janaína; Calcagnotto, Maria Elisa; Moreira, Jorge E.; Rasia-Filho, Alberto A.
    The rat posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD) has a remarkable neuronal plasticity and responds to olfactory/pheromonal stimuli to modulate emotional and reproductive behaviors. Glutamate is locally released by incoming sensorial pathways to establish and enforce synaptic inputs. Here, we combined DiI dye and immunolabeling procedure under confocal microscopy to describe the presence and distribution of glutamate receptors on neurons of the MePD of adult male rats. Western blot analysis interrogated binding specificity. Both AMPA (GluA1-4 subunits) and NMDA (GluN1 subunit) receptors were immunolabeled on cell bodies and along proximal and distal dendritic shafts. AMPA receptors were mainly observed on mushroom and stubby/wide spines, whereas NMDA receptors were found on thin spines. Colocalization of AMPA and NMDA receptors occurred in some spines. Filopodium did not show immunolabeled puncta on it. Our results are different from the distribution of glutamate receptors in the amygdaloid lateral nucleus, an upstream area involved with emotional processing, and suggest a region-specific excitatory transmission at proximal and distal dendritic branches. Altogether, these data provide new information for synaptic processing in the MePD likely related to the modulation of social behavior in rats.
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    Effect of prior exercise training and myocardial infarction-induced heart failure on the neuronal and glial densities and the GFAP-immunoreactivity in the posterodorsal medial amygdala of rats
    (F. Hernández y Juan F. Madrid. Universidad de Murcia: Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, 2014) Salazar, Ana Paula S.; Quagliotto, Edson; Alves, Jadson; Oliveira, Fernando A.; Saur, Lisiani; Xavier, Léder L.; Pagnussat, Aline S.; Rasia-Filho, Alberto
    Exercise training has neuroprotective effects whereas myocardial infarction (MI) and heart failure (HF) can cause neuronal death and reactive gliosis in the whole amygdala. The posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD) is involved with cardiovascular reflexes and the central control of sympathetic/parasympathetic responses. Our aim was to study the effects of prior exercise training and of MI-induced HF on the neuronal and glial densities and the glial fibrillary acidic proteinimmunoreactivity (GFAP-ir) in the MePD of adult male rats. Animals (n=5/group) were: control, sedentary submitted to a sham MI (Sed Sham), sedentary submitted to MI/HF (Sed HF), trained on a treadmill and submitted to a sham MI (T Sham) or trained on a treadmill and submitted to MI/HF (T HF). The number of neurons and glial cells in the MePD was estimated using the optical fractionator and the GFAP-ir was quantified by optical densitometry. In the respective groups, treadmill training improved physical performance and MI damaged near 40% of the left ventricle. There was a hemispheric lateralization effect on the density of neurons (higher in the right MePD), but no significant difference in either the neuronal or the glial densities due to experimental condition. Regional GFAP-ir results revealed that the Sed HF group had a higher expression in the left MePD compared to the control and the Sed Sham rats (p<0.01). The present data did not evidence the effects of training or MI/HF in the MePD cellular density, but indicate a possible local restructuring of astrocytic cytoskeleton after MI/HF in rats.
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    Gap junctions and expression of Cx36 Cx43 and Cx45 in the posterodorsal medial amygdala of adult rats
    (Universidad de Murcia, Departamento de Biologia Celular e Histiologia, 2020) Zancan, Mariana; Malysz, Tais; Moura, Dinara J.; Morás, Ana Moira; Steffens, Luiza; Rasia-Filho, Alberto
    The posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD) has a synaptic organization that dynamically modulates reproduction and other social behaviors in rats. Discrete gap junctions between glial cells were previously reported in the MePD neuropil. Connexins (Cx) are components of gap junctions and indicative of cellular electrical coupling. Here, we report the ultrastructural occurrence of gap junctions between neurons in the MePD and demonstrate the expression and immunofluorescent labeling of Cx36, Cx43 and Cx45 in this subcortical area of adult male rats. Few neuronal gap junctions were found in the MePD and, when identified, occurred between dendrites. On the other hand, there is a diffuse presence and distribution of punctate labelling for the tested Cxs. Puncta were visualized isolated or forming clusters in the same focal plane of cell bodies or along the MePD neuropil. The Cx36 puncta were found in neurons, Cx43 in astrocytes and Cx45 in both neurons and astrocytes. Our data indicate the presence of few gap junctions and different Cxs composition in the MePD. Because Cxs can assemble, form hemichannel units and/or serve as transcriptional regulator, it is likely that additional modulation of intercellular communication can occur besides the chemical transmission in the MePD of adult rats.