[Structural characteristics of neurons and macrogliocytes in the interconnected areas of the rat mesoaccumbocingulate dopaminergic system]

Morfologiia. 2009;136(5):11-7.
[Article in Russian]

Abstract

Morphometric parameters of the neurons and macrogliocytes were studied in the interconnected antero-medial areas of the mesoaccumbocingulate dopaminergic system of 6 rats under normal conditions; these data may be important for the diagnosis and elucidating of the morphogenesis of addiction conditions. The spatial model of the system was obtained which took into account an average distance of frontal sections from the frontal pole. The density of neurons and gliocytes were determined in the middle part of the paranigral nucleus of ventral tegmental area (VTA) and in substantia nigra (SN) compact part, as well as in the interconnected antero-medial parts of these midbrain nuclei, nucleus accumbens (NA), V1 layer of a pregenual (Cg3) and III layer of a supragenual (Cg2) cingulate fields. The antero-medial parts of VTA paranigral nucleus and of SN compact part, interconnected with specified cingulate structures and NA, contain more neurons than the other areas, as they occupy greater volume, while there are no differences in the volume of neurons in the anterior and in the middle parts of these structures. The anterior portion of SN compact part, besides, is remarkable for greater density of the neurons. The anteromedial parts of VTA paranigral nucleus and of SN compact part of (12.2 +/- 0.1 mm from the frontal pole) have the greatest diagnostic value for the morphological evaluation of addiction also because the lateral part of VTA paranigral nucleus contains the greatest population of a nondopaminergic neurons, while the cell bodies of the neurons of the other VTA nuclear groups are of small size. Medial part of NA has the greatest volume (and, hence, the number of neurons) in the middle of a nucleus (5.1 +/- 0.1 mm from the frontal pole) at the level of anterior part of the supragenual cingulate field (Cg2). The V1 layer of the pregenual cingulate field (Cg3) is most compact at the level of the base of anterior forceps (2.4 +/- 0.1 mm from the frontal pole).

Publication types

  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Dopamine / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Gyrus Cinguli / cytology*
  • Neuroglia / cytology*
  • Neurons / cytology*
  • Nucleus Accumbens / cytology*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Substantia Nigra / cytology
  • Ventral Tegmental Area / cytology

Substances

  • Dopamine