Relative sparing of GABAergic interneurons in the striatum of gerbils with ischemia-induced lesions

Striatal gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic interneurons express intense immunoreactivity to glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), GABA and parvalbumin. The distribution of these cells in the striatum of gerbils was examined 2-90 days after transient occlusion of the common carotid, a procedure which results in a zone of profound neuronal loss in the dorso-lateral sector of the head of the caudate-putamen (striatum), with relative sparing of somatostatinergic and cholinergic interneurons. Despite a marked decrease in GAD immunoreactivity corresponding to the loss of striatal efferent neurons in this area, isolated neurons expressing intense immunoreactivity to GAD and parvalbumin were still observed in the lesioned area, suggesting that striatal GABAergic interneurons are also relatively spared by ischemic insult in the adult gerbil.