Repeated Exposure to Methamphetamine, Cocaine or Morphine Induces Augmentation of Dopamine Release in Rat Mesocorticolimbic Slice Co-Cultures
Figure 1
Immunohistochemistry for TH in the VTA/NAc/mPFC triple slice co-cultures.
(A) Photomicrograph for TH immunoreactivity by 3,3′-diaminobenzidine staining in a representative triple slice co-culture. The dotted lines represent the borders of mesencephalic, ventral striatal and mPFC slices. Scale bar = 1 mm. (B–F) Fluorescence photomicrographs for TH immunoreactivity in the (B) VTA in the mesencephalic slice, (C) border of mesencephalic and mPFC slices, (D) mPFC slice, (E) border of mesencephalic and ventral striatal slices and (F) NAc in the ventral striatal slice. Square frames in the illustration of the VTA/NAc/mPFC triple slice co-culture indicate the regions corresponding to the photomicrographs (B)–(F). Scale bar = 50 µm. (G) The expression of DAT protein (approximately 75 kDa) in the VTA, NAc and mPFC parts separated from the triple slice co-cultures was determined by Western blotting (upper panel). Lower panel shows blots for Na+/K+-ATPase (approximately 100 kDa) as a loading control.