Serotonergic innervation of the human amygdala and evolutionary implications.
Am J Phys Anthropol
; 170(3): 351-360, 2019 11.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-31260092
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
The serotonergic system is involved in the regulation of socio-emotional behavior and heavily innervates the amygdala, a key structure of social brain circuitry. We quantified serotonergic axon density of the four major nuclei of the amygdala in humans, and examined our results in light of previously published data sets in chimpanzees and bonobos. MATERIALS ANDMETHODS:
Formalin-fixed postmortem tissue sections of the amygdala from six humans were stained for serotonin transporter (SERT) utilizing immunohistochemistry. SERT-immunoreactive (ir) axon fiber density in the lateral, basal, accessory basal, and central nuclei of the amygdala was quantified using unbiased stereology. Nonparametric statistical analyses were employed to examine differences in SERT-ir axon density between amygdaloid nuclei within humans, as well as differences between humans and previously published data in chimpanzees and bonobos.RESULTS:
Humans displayed a unique pattern of serotonergic innervation of the amygdala, and SERT-ir axon density was significantly greater in the central nucleus compared to the lateral nucleus. SERT-ir axon density was significantly greater in humans compared to chimpanzees in the basal, accessory basal, and central nuclei. SERT-ir axon density was greater in humans compared to bonobos in the accessory basal and central nuclei.CONCLUSIONS:
The human pattern of SERT-ir axon distribution in the amygdala complements the redistribution of neurons in the amygdala in human evolution. The present findings suggest that differential serotonergic modulation of cognitive and autonomic pathways in the amygdala in humans, bonobos, and chimpanzees may contribute to species-level differences in social behavior.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Proteínas da Membrana Plasmática de Transporte de Serotonina
/
Tonsila do Cerebelo
Limite:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2019
Tipo de documento:
Article