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Dopamine innervation in the thalamus: monkey versus rat
Miguel Angel García-Cabezas1, Patricia Martínez-Sánchez, Miguel Angel Sánchez-González
1Departamento de Anatomía, Histología y Neurociencia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|June 14, 2008
Summary
Primate brains show significantly more dopamine transporter axons in the thalamus than rat brains, suggesting a more developed dopaminergic system in primates. This difference may relate to primate interneuron populations.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Comparative Anatomy
Background:
- The dopaminergic system in the human and macaque thalamus was recently identified.
- Dopamine levels are reportedly low in the rat thalamus.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that the thalamic dopaminergic system is more developed in primates compared to rodents.
- To investigate species differences in thalamic dopamine innervation.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemistry for the dopamine transporter (DAT) was used.
- Adult macaque and rat brains were analyzed.
- Ultrastructural analysis was performed on macaque tissue.
Main Results:
- Macaque dorsal thalamus exhibited a greater extent and density of DAT-immunoreactive axons compared to rats.
- The mediodorsal association nucleus and ventral motor nuclei showed the densest labeling in macaques.
- Thalamic interneurons were identified as a primary postsynaptic target of DAT-axons in macaques.
Conclusions:
- The primate thalamus has a more developed dopaminergic innervation than the rodent thalamus.
- This expansion in primates may be linked to their larger interneuron populations.
- Awareness of brain species differences is crucial for animal models of human diseases.
