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Fine structural analysis of the cortico-striatal pathway.
The Journal of Comparative Neurology
|May 15, 1979
Summary
Glutamate is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the cortico-striatal pathway. Morphological studies confirm glutamate nerve endings are linked to kainic acid neurotoxicity in the striatum.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurochemistry
Background:
- Glutamate is a key excitatory neurotransmitter in the cortico-striatal tract.
- Lesions in this pathway reduce striatal glutamate levels and kainic acid neurotoxicity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the morphology of glutamate nerve endings in the striatum.
- To establish a link between glutamate nerve ending morphology and kainic acid neurotoxicity.
Main Methods:
- Axonal transport of 3H-proline in rat frontal cortex to label cortico-striatal neurons.
- Electron microscopy to visualize labeled nerve endings in the striatum.
- Kainic acid administration to induce postsynaptic element degeneration.
Main Results:
- A single type of labeled nerve ending (bouton) was identified in the striatum.
- These boutons exhibited morphological characteristics of excitatory synapses (round vesicles, asymmetrical contacts).
- Labeled boutons showed increased synaptic contact with degenerating dendritic elements after kainic acid injection.
Conclusions:
- The study provides morphological evidence identifying probable glutamatergic boutons in the striatum.
- The findings demonstrate a strong association between these glutamatergic boutons and kainic acid-induced neurotoxicity.