The immunohistochemical distribution of the GABA receptor α, α, α, β and γ subunits in the human thalamus.

The GABA receptor is the most abundant inhibitory receptor in the human brain and is assembled from a variety of different subunit subtypes which determines their pharmacology and physiology. To determine which GABA receptor subunit proteins are found in the human thalamus we investigated the distribution of five major GABA receptor subunits α, α, α, β and γ using immunohistochemical techniques. The α-, β- and γ- subunits which combine to form a benzodiazepine sensitive GABA receptor showed the most intense levels of staining and were the most common subunits found throughout the human thalamus especially in the ventral and posterior nuclear groups.

The distribution of calbindin, calretinin and parvalbumin immunoreactivity in the human thalamus.

Unlabelled: Calcium-binding proteins show a heterogeneous distribution in the mammalian central nervous system and are useful markers for identifying neuronal populations. The distribution of the three major calcium-binding proteins - calbindin-D28k (calbindin), calretinin and parvalbumin - has been investigated in eight neurologically normal human thalami using standard immunohistochemical techniques. Most thalamic nuclei show immunoreactive cell bodies for at least two of the three calcium-binding proteins; the only nucleus showing immunoreactivity for one calcium-binding protein is the centre médian nucleus (CM) which is parvalbumin-positive.

Calcium-binding protein immunoreactivity delineates the intralaminar nuclei of the thalamus in the human brain.

Immunohistochemical studies have shown that the three calcium-binding proteins (calbindin-D28k, calretinin and parvalbumin) are heterogeneously distributed in the mammalian brain and are useful for delineating nuclear boundaries. We have investigated the distribution of the three calcium-binding proteins in the human thalamus in order to assist in the delineation of the equivocal nuclear boundaries of the intralaminar nuclei of the thalamus. The results show that each of the "functional" nuclear complexes in the human thalamus demonstrates a characteristic pattern of calcium-binding protein immunoreactivity.

Localization of calcium-binding proteins and GABA transporter (GAT-1) messenger RNA in the human subthalamic nucleus.

The distribution of messenger RNA encoding the human GAT-1 (a high-affinity GABA transporter) was investigated in the subthalamic nucleus of 10 neurologically normal human post mortem cases. Further, the distribution of messenger RNA and protein encoding the three neuronally expressed calcium-binding proteins (calbindin D28k, parvalbumin and calretinin) was similarly investigated using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical techniques. Cellular sites of calbindin D28k, parvalbumin, calretinin and GAT-1 messenger RNA expression were localized using human-specific oligonucleotide probes radiolabelled with [35S]dATP.

The effects of globus pallidus lesions on dopamine-dependent motor behaviour in rats.

Motor effects of bilateral lesions of the globus pallidus induced by quinolinic acid (30 and 60 nmol in 0.5 microl) were investigated in rats. Globus pallidus lesions with 60 nmol quinolinic acid produced a significant reduction of spontaneous motor activity measured by a reduced locomotor activity in an open field and by a reduced sniffing activity in an experimental chamber.