Detection of conspecific pheromones elicits fos expression in GABA and calcium-binding cells of the rat vomeronasal syst
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Detection of conspecific pheromones elicits fos expression in GABA and calcium-binding cells of the rat vomeronasal system–medial extended amygdala German Leandro Pereno & Verónica Balaszczuk & Carlos A. Beltramino
Received: 18 January 2010 / Accepted: 28 September 2010 / Published online: 12 October 2010 # University of Navarra 2010
Abstract The olfactory accessory system is specialized in the detection of pheromones, being an afferent to medial extended amygdala. In spite of the fact that numerous phenotypes are found in these structures, in the current literature, there are no detailed descriptions about the phenotype of neurons in the vomeronasal system–medial extended amygdale after their activation by pheromonal stimuli. Using immunohistochemistry for fos and dual immunohistochemistry for fos and phenotypes, here we show that females have a greater number of activated neurons by the pheromonal stimulus. Likewise, a great colocalization of fos with GABA, calretinin, and calbindin was observed in the vomeronasal system–medial extended amygdala. These data suggest that in amygdaloid areas, neuronal excitability is controlled by GABAergic neurons that contain different calcium-binding proteins, indicating the important role of inhibitory G. L. Pereno : C. A. Beltramino (*) Cátedra de Neurofisiología y Psicofisiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Enfermera Gordillo esquina Enrique Barros, Ciudad Universitaria, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina e-mail: [email protected] G. L. Pereno e-mail: [email protected] G. L. Pereno : V. Balaszczuk : C. A. Beltramino Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, Friuli 2434, Córdoba 5016, Argentina
control on the incoming sensory pheromonal and olfactory inputs controlled and processed by the vomeronasal system. Keywords Calcium-binding proteins . Fos . GABA . Medial extended amygdala . Vomeronasal system
Introduction The importance of the olfactory stimuli in the memory and the control of animal behavior have been recognized, although the mechanisms that underlie these phenomena are still poorly understood [40]. Among the species of low vertebrates and in the majority of the mammals, it is possible to recognize the existence of an olfactory double system, formed by a main and accessory olfactory system or vomeronasal system (VS), which includes a vomeronasal organ, an accessory olfactory bulb (AOB), and some vomeronasal-recipient amygdaloid structures. The vomeronasal system detects mainly, but not exclusively, pheromones [13]. The AOB receives the axons of the vomeronasal organ through the vomeronasal nerve, which finishes in the glomerular layer of AOB, whereas AOB mitral cells project to the medial amygdaloid nucleus (MeA) and posteromedial cortical amygdaloid area (PMCO), as well as to the bed nucleus of the accessory olfactory tract (BAOT), and the posteromedial bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTMp). All of these connections are bidirectional suggesting feedback
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loops [13]. However, ma
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