Photostimulation alters c-Fos expression in the dorsal raphe nucleus

Retinal afferents to the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) have been described in a number of species, including Mongolian gerbils, but functional correlates of this optic pathway are unknown at present. To determine whether temporally modulated photostimulation can affect c-Fos expression in the gerbil DRN, quantitative analysis of c-Fos-immunoreactive (c-Fos-ir) neurons was conducted following 60-min exposure to pulsed (2 Hz) photostimulation at selected times over the 12:12 h light/dark cycle. For comparison, c-Fos expression was also analyzed in the subnuclei of the lateral geniculate complex and in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). In the DRN, a substantial reduction was observed in the number of c-Fos immunoreactive (c-Fos-ir) neurons during the light period and early dark period in photostimulated vs. control animals. Similar results were obtained in the intergeniculate leaflet (IGL) and ventral lateral geniculate (VLG). However, no significant changes were observed in the number of c-Fos-ir neurons in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus or suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) following photostimulation, except for an increase in the middle of the dark period. These findings indicate that photic stimulation can lead to a suppression or down-regulation of c-Fos expression in the DRN that is probably mediated via the direct retinal pathway to the DRN in this species. The similarity between c-Fos expression profiles in the DRN and IGL/VGL suggest that efferent projections from the DRN may modulate c-Fos expression to visual stimulation in these subnuclei of the lateral geniculate complex.