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Pattern of distribution of serotonergic fibers to the thalamus of the rat

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Abstract

It is well established that serotonergic (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) fibers, mainly originating from the dorsal and median raphe nuclei of the brainstem, distribute throughout the forebrain, most heavily to ‘limbic’ forebrain structures. Few reports have examined the distribution of 5-HT fibers to the thalamus and none to our knowledge using immunoprocedures for the detection of the serotonin transporter (SERT)—a very sensitive marker for 5-HT fibers. Using immunohistochemical methods for SERT, we examined the pattern of distribution of 5-HT fibers to the thalamus in the rat. We show that serotonergic fibers are heavily concentrated in midline, intralaminar and association nuclei of the thalamus, and with the exception of the lateral geniculate complex, weakly distributed to principal nuclei of thalamus. Specifically, we demonstrate that 5-HT fibers are densely concentrated in the anteroventral, anteromedial and interanteromedial nuclei of the anterior thalamus, the paraventricular, rhomboid and reuniens nuclei of the midline thalamus, the central medial and central lateral nuclei of the intralaminar thalamus, the intermediodorsal nucleus, the lateral dorsal nucleus, and the dorsal and ventral lateral geniculate nuclei and intergeniculate leaflet of the LGN complex. Less densely innervated sites include the mediodorsal, paracentral, parafascicular, lateral posterior and submedial nuclei of thalamus. Remaining regions of the thalamus, largely consisting of principal nuclei, contained few 5-HT fibers. This pattern of 5-HT innervation indicates that serotonin/serotonergic fibers mainly affect thalamic nuclei with connections to ‘non-principal’ or limbic regions of the cortex (or forebrain). This suggests that serotonergic fibers to the thalamus may exert a significant influence on affective and cognitive functions, possibly complementing the actions of 5-HT fibers to other parts of the brain involved in emotional and cognitive behaviors.

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Abbreviations

5-HT:

5-Hydroxytryptamine, serotonin

AD:

Anterodorsal nucleus of the thalamus

AM:

Anteromedial nucleus of thalamus

APN:

Anterior pretectal nucleus

AV:

Anteroventral nucleus of thalamus

CL:

Central lateral nucleus of the thalamus

CM:

Central medial nucleus of thalamus

COM:

Commissural nucleus, periaqueductal gray

cpd:

Cerebral peduncle

DR:

Dorsal raphe nucleus

ec:

External capsule

EC:

Entorhinal cortex

fr:

Fasciculus retroflexus

fx:

Fornix

HD:

Head direction

HF:

Hippocampus

IAD:

Interanterodorsal nucleus of thalamus

IAM:

Interanteromedial nucleus of thalamus

ic:

Internal capsule

IGL:

Intergeniculate leaflet

IL:

Intralaminar thalamus

IMD:

Intermediodorsal nucleus of thalamus

LD:

Lateral dorsal nucleus of thalamus

LGNd:

Dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus

LGNv,m,l:

Ventral lateral geniculate nucleus, medial and lateral divisions

LH:

Lateral habenula

LHy:

Lateral hypothalamus

LPl,m:

Lateral posterior nucleus of thalamus, lateral and medial divisions

MB:

Mammillary bodies

MDc,1,m:

Mediodorsal nucleus of thalamus, central, lateral, and medial divisions

MGN:

Medial geniculate nucleus

MH:

Medial habenula

ml:

Medial lemniscus

MPT:

Medial pretectal nucleus

MR:

Median raphe nucleus

MRF:

Mesencephalic reticular formation

mt:

Mammillothalamic tract

NOT:

Nucleus of optic tract

NPC:

Nucleus of posterior commissure

OP:

Olivary pretectal nucleus

PAG:

Periaqueductal gray

pc:

Posterior commissure

PCN:

Paracentral nucleus of thalamus

PF:

Parafascicular nucleus of thalamus

PFC:

Prefrontal cortex

PH:

Posterior hypothalamus

PO:

Posterior nucleus of thalamus

PR:

Peri-reuniens nucleus

PT:

Paratenial nucleus of thalamus

PVa,p:

Paraventricular nucleus of thalamus, anterior and posterior divisions

RE:

Nucleus reuniens of thalamus

RH:

Rhomboid nucleus of thalamus

RSC:

Retrosplenial cortex

RT:

Reticular nucleus of thalamus

SC:

Superior colliculus

SCN:

Suprachiasmatic nucleus

SERT:

Serotonin transporter

sm:

Stria medullaris

SMT:

Submedial nucleus of thalamus

SPF:

Subparafascicular nucleus

st:

Stria terminalis

VAL:

Ventroanterior lateral complex of thalamus

VB:

Ventrobasal complex of the thalamus

VM:

Ventral medial nucleus of thalamus

ZI:

Zona incerta

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by National Science Foundation grant IOS 0820639 to RPV.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, 33431, USA

    Robert P. Vertes & Walter B. Hoover

  2. Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, 33431, USA

    Stephanie B. Linley

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  1. Robert P. Vertes
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  2. Stephanie B. Linley
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  3. Walter B. Hoover
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Correspondence to Robert P. Vertes.

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Vertes, R.P., Linley, S.B. & Hoover, W.B. Pattern of distribution of serotonergic fibers to the thalamus of the rat. Brain Struct Funct 215, 1–28 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-010-0249-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-010-0249-x

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