Two types of projection neurons in human striatum: peculiarities of their somatodendritic structure in ventral and dorsal striatum.

The somatodendritic structure of projection neurons was morphometrically examined in the nucleus accumbens of human brain. In contrast to reticular neurons, spiny neurons of the nucleus accumbens and dorsal striatum have different somatodendritic structure. In both parts of the striatum, reticular neurons were NADPH-diaphorase-positive.

A common system of sparsely-branched projection (reticular) NADPH-diaphorase neurons in formations of densely-branched cells in the human forebrain.

Morphometric studies of human forebrain formations composed of densely branched cells - the entorhinal cortex, the basolateral amygdala, the nucleus accumbens, the striatum, and the dorsal thalamus - were performed using nine parameters, with statistical analysis of the resulting data; measurements addressed the major projection-type densely branched and sparsely branched reticular neurons (scattered reticular and marginal reticular cells of the dorsal thalamus) stained by the Golgi method and with NADPH-diaphorase. Scattered reticular cells in the various formations showed no differences in any of the nine measures, while there were significant differences (in 5-7 measures, apart from one comparison, where there were differences in two measures) in their major projection-type densely branched cells. Scattered reticular and main projection-type densely branched neurons in each formation differed in terms of 7-9 measures.

[Common system of sparsely branched projection (reticular) NADPH-diaphorase neurons in the human forebrain formations built from densely branched cells].

Cell morphometry with statistical analysis (using 9 parameters) of densely branched projection and sparsely branched reticular neurons was performed in the human forebrain formations built from densely branched projection neurons (the entorhinal cortex, striatum, nucleus accumbens basolateral amygdala, and dorsal thalamus). The reticular neurons included scattered reticular neurons and marginal reticular neurons of the dorsal thalamus. Golgi method and staining for NADPH-diaphorase were used.

Neurons of the basal ganglia of the human brain (striatum and basolateral amygdala) expressing the enzyme NADPH-d.

Types of NADPH-d+ neurons (Vincent et al., 1983) were identified in the striatum and basolateral nuclei of the amygdala; striocortical neurons were detected in the striatum using the DiI marker (Belichenko and Dahlström, 1995). NADPH-d+ cells were numerous.

[Neurons of the human basal ganglia (striatum and basolateral amygdala) expressing the enzyme NADPH-d].

In human striatum and basolateral amygdala NADPH-d+ neurons were revealed (after Vincent et al., 1983); and in striatum strio-cortical neurons were also revealed using DiI marker (after Dahtstrom and Belichenko, 1995). The NADPH-d+ neurons were numerous in both formations.