Skip to main content
Log in

Parasubthalamic and calbindin nuclei in the posterior lateral hypothalamus are the major hypothalamic targets for projections from the central and anterior basomedial nuclei of the amygdala

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Brain Structure and Function Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The parasubthalamic nucleus (PSTN) and the ventrally adjacent calbindin nucleus (CbN) form a nuclear complex in the posterior lateral hypothalamic area (LHA), recently characterized as connected with the central nucleus of the amygdala (CEA). The aim of the present work is to analyze in detail the projections from the amygdala into the PSTN/CbN, also focusing on pathways into the LHA. After fluorogold injections into the PSTN/CbN, the medial part of the CEA (CEAm) appears to be the main supplier of projections from the CEA. Other amygdalar nuclei contribute to the innervation of the PSTN/CbN complex, including the anterior part of the basomedial nucleus (BMAa). Injections of the anterograde tracer, Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHAL), into the CEAm and BMAa revealed that projections from the CEAm follow two pathways into the LHA: a dorsal pathway formed by axons that also innervate the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, the anterior perifornical LHA and the PSTN, and a ventral pathway that runs laterally adjacent to the ventrolateral hypothalamic tract (vlt) and ends in the CbN. By contrast, the BMAa and other telencephalic structures, such as the fundus striatum project to the CbN via the ventral pathway. Confirming the microscopic observation, a semi-quantitative analysis of the density of these projections showed that the PSTN and the CbN are the major hypothalamic targets for the projections from the CEAm and the BMAa, respectively. PSTN and CbN receive these projections through distinct dorsal and ventral routes in the LHA. The ventral pathway forms a differentiated tract, named here the ventrolateral amygdalo-hypothalamic tract (vlah), that is distinct from, but runs adjacent to, the vlt. Both the vlt and the vlah had been previously described as forming an olfactory path into the LHA. These results help to better characterize the CbN within the PSTN/CbN complex and are discussed in terms of the functional organization of the network involving the PSTN and the CbN as well as the CEA and the BMAa.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Fig. 18
Fig. 19
Fig. 20

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

AAA:

Anterior amygdalar area

Act:

Anterior commissure, temporal limb

AHN:

Anterior hypothalamic nucleus

AMB:

Nucleus ambiguus

ARH:

Arcuate hypothalamic nucleus

B:

Barrington’s nucleus

BA:

Bed nucleus accessory olfactory tract

BLA:

Basolateral amygdalar nucleus

BLAa:

Basolateral amygdalar nucleus, anterior part

BLAp:

Basolateral amygdalar nucleus, posterior part

BMAa:

Basomedial amygdalar nucleus, anterior part

BMAp:

Basomedial amygdalar nucleus, posterior part

BST:

Bed nuclei stria terminalis

BSTad:

Bed nuclei stria terminalis, anterior division, anterodorsal area

CA:

Ammon’s horn

Cb:

Calbindin

CbN:

Calbindin nucleus

CEA:

Central amygdalar nucleus

CEAc:

Central amygdalar nucleus, capsular part

CEAl:

Central amygdalar nucleus, lateral part

CEAm:

Central amygdalar nucleus, medial part

CGRP:

Calcitonin gene-related peptide

CM:

Central medial thalamic nucleus

COAa:

Cortical amygdalar nucleus, anterior part

COApl:

Cortical amygdalar nucleus, posterior part, lateral zone

COApm:

Cortical amygdalar nucleus, posterior part, medial zone

CP:

Caudoputamen

cpd:

Cerebral peduncle

ddp:

Dorsal descending pathway

DMH:

Dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus

ENTl:

Entorhinal area, lateral part

ENTm:

Entorhinal area, medial part, dorsal zone

EPd:

Endopiriform nucleus, dorsal part

EPv:

Endopiriform nucleus, ventral part

FG:

Fluorogold

FS:

Fundus striatum

fx:

Columns of the fornix

GABA:

Gamma-aminobutyric acid

GAD:

Glutamic acid decarboxylase

GP:

Globus pallidus

GRN:

Gigantocellular reticular nucleus

IA:

Intercaleted amygdalar nuclei

ic:

Internal capsule

IC:

Insular cortex

LA:

Lateral amygdalar nucleus

LDT:

Laterodorsal tegmental nucleus

LHA:

Lateral hypothalamic area

LHApfx:

Lateral hypothalamic area, perifonical region

LHAvl:

Lateral hypothalamic area, ventral region, lateral zone

LRN:

Lateral reticular nucleus

LS:

Lateral septal nucleus

MA:

Magnocellular preoptic nucleus

MCH:

Melanin-concentrating hormone

MD:

Mediodorsal thalamic nucleus

MDRN:

Medullary reticular nucleus

MEA:

Medial amygdalar nucleus

MEApv:

Medial amygdalar nucleus, posteroventral part

mfb:

Medial forebrain bundle

MG:

Medial geniculate complex

MRN:

Mesencephalic reticular nucleus

MS:

Medial septal nucleus

mtt:

Mammillothalamic tract

NDB:

Diagonal band nucleus

NG:

Nucleus gemini

NLOT:

Nucleus of the lateral olfactory tract

NTS:

Nucleus of the solitary tract

opt:

Optic tract

OT:

Olfactory tubercle

PA:

Posterior amygdalar nucleus

PAG:

Periaqueductal gray

PARN:

Parvicellular reticular nucleus

PB:

Parabrachial nucleus

PH:

Posterior hypothalamic nucleus

PHAL:

Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin

PIR:

Piriform area

PMv:

Ventral premammillary nucleus

POR:

Periolivary region

PRN:

Pontine reticular nucleus

PV:

Parvalbumin

PV1/parvafox:

Parvalbumin-positive (PV1) nucleus/parvafox nucleus

PVH:

Paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus

PVHlp-f:

Paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, lateral parvicellular part–forniceal part

PVT:

Paraventricular thalamic nucleus

PSTN:

Parasubthalamic nucleus

PSV:

Principal sensory nucleus of the trigeminal

RE:

Nucleus reuniens

RH:

Rhomboid nucleus

RM:

Nucleus raphe magnus

SC:

Superior colliculus

SI:

Substantia innominate

sm:

Stria medullaris

SN:

Substantia nigra

SO:

Supraoptic nucleus

SPVI:

Spinal nucleus of the trigeminal, interpolar part

st:

Stria terminalis

STN:

Subthalamic nucleus

SUM:

Supramammillary nucleus

Sup:

Supraoptic commissures

TU:

Tuberal nucleus

V:

Motor nucleus of the trigeminal nerve

VII:

Facial nucleus

vlah:

Ventrolateral amygdalo-hypothalamic pathway

vlt:

Ventrolateral hypothalamic tract

VMH:

Ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus

VP:

Ventral pallidum

VTA:

Ventral tegmental area

ZI:

Zona incerta

References

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Region Franche-Comté, France. Authors wish to thank C. Houdayer and G. Franchi for technical assistances.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pierre-Yves Risold.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Barbier, M., Chometton, S., Peterschmitt, Y. et al. Parasubthalamic and calbindin nuclei in the posterior lateral hypothalamus are the major hypothalamic targets for projections from the central and anterior basomedial nuclei of the amygdala. Brain Struct Funct 222, 2961–2991 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-017-1379-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-017-1379-1

Keywords

Navigation