AN IMMUNOELECTRON MICROSCOPIC STUDY ON THE SYNAPTIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DOPAMINERGIC AND GABAergic NEURONS IN THE BASOLATERALNUCLEUS OF THE RAT AMYGDALA / 解剖学报

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the relationship between dopaminergic axon terminal and GABAergic neurons and explore the neuroanatomic mechanism of their effects in schizophrenia. Methods The co-location and the association of dopaminergic axon terminal and GABAergic neurons in the basolateral nucleus (BL) of rat amygdala were examined by using double labeling immunoelectron microscopic techniques. Dopaminergic axon terminal and GABAergic neurons were labeled with the antidopamine (anti-DA) and the anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase (anti-GAD) antibodies respectively. Results 43% of the DA-input synapses was observed to relate directly or indirectly to GAD-immunoreactive(IR) dendritic structures(DA/GAD), which includes single (38%), convergent (30%), serial (20%), and axoaxonic (12%) contact types.And 57% of the DA-input synapses was found to associate with unlabeled elements (DA/UE), which includes unlabeled perikarya (10%), dendrites (82%) and axons (8%). All of the synapses that show DA-IR terminals profiles were found to be symmetric (inhibitory) synapses.Conclusion These results suggest that the dopaminergic system in the BL of rat amygdala controls the mediations of the GABAergic interneurons via symmetric synapses. In addition, the dopaminergic axon terminal associates with the glutamatergic projection neurons and exerts influence on its activity.