NADPH-diaphorase-reactive neurons in rat basal ganglia

NADPH-d reaction was performed on nine male Sprague-Dawley rats and morphometry of NADPH-d(+) cells was investigated in caudate-putamen, globus pallidus and ventral pallidum. In caudate-putamen we observed intensely stained NADPH-d (+) cells. Maximum diameter and minimum diameters of the NADPH-d (+) cells in caudate-putamen was measured as 19.19±0.04 mm and 10.42±0.12 mm, consequently. In globus pallidus, moderately stained NADPH-d (+) cells were observed. We measured the maximum and minimum diameters of the NADPH-d (+) cells as 19.93±0.24 mm and 10.42±0.12 mm, consequently. In ventral pallidum, medium-sized, moderately stained cells were present. Maximum and minimum diameters of the NADPH-d (+) cells in ventral pallidum was 19.19±0.04 mm and 12.40±0.2 mm, consequently. NADPH-d (+) cells in caudate-putamen, globus pallidus and ventral pallidum were mostly multipolar in shape. Basal ganglia have recently been suggested to have a role in nociceptive processing. Based on the role of nitric oxide in nociception and NADPH-d which is a form of nitric oxide synthase, the positive reaction in these nuclei is proposed to have a role in nociception in basal ganglia.NADPH-d reaction was performed on nine male Sprague-Dawley rats and morphometry of NADPH-d(+) cells was investigated in caudate-putamen, globus pallidus and ventral pallidum. In caudate-putamen we observed intensely stained NADPH-d (+) cells. Maximum diameter and minimum diameters of the NADPH-d (+) cells in caudate-putamen was measured as 19.19±0.04 mm and 10.42±0.12 mm, consequently. In globus pallidus, moderately stained NADPH-d (+) cells were observed. We measured the maximum and minimum diameters of the NADPH-d (+) cells as 19.93±0.24 mm and 10.42±0.12 mm, consequently. In ventral pallidum, medium-sized, moderately stained cells were present. Maximum and minimum diameters of the NADPH-d (+) cells in ventral pallidum was 19.19±0.04 mm and 12.40±0.2 mm, consequently. NADPH-d (+) cells in caudate-putamen, globus pallidus and ventral pallidum were mostly multipolar in shape. Basal ganglia have recently been suggested to have a role in nociceptive processing. Based on the role of nitric oxide in nociception and NADPH-d which is a form of nitric oxide synthase, the positive reaction in these nuclei is proposed to have a role in nociception in basal ganglia

The effect of thyroidectomy on testicular morphology in adult male rats

The effect of thyroidectomy on testicular morphology was studied in adult male albino rats. Thyroidectomy caused a decrease in testicular weight and body weight, but no difference on relative testis weight. There was a decrease on seminiferous tubulus diameter, while the spermatid/spermatogonium ratio which is highly correlated with the efficiency of spermatogenesis did not change after thyroidectomy. No other morphological changes were observed in the seminiferous tubules of testis

Laminar distribution of the sources of ascending spino-supraspinal pathways involved in nociceptive transmission and pain modulation

In the present study, we made an attempt to detect more exactly the laminar distribution of spinomesencephalic, spinothalamic and spinotelencephalic tract neurons and to estimate the character of axonal collateralization in these spino-supraspinal pathways in the rat by means of retrograde double-labelling of cells with Fluoro-Gold (FG) and Primuline O (Pr). We found that sources of spino-supraspinal pathways to the upper centers of the brain stem, nucleus ac-cumbens and septal nuclei were mixed together in the marginal zone, deep dorsal horn, reticulated area, lamina X and the lateral spinal nucleus, but have as a rule their own discrete projection fields. Thus, spino-supraspinal projections could be characterized as extensive but not diffuse according to the current concept of structural and functional organization of the ascending spinal systems related with pain or motivational-affective reactions connected with pain. It was shown recently that suppression of tonic activity in an ascending spino-supraspinal pathway activates a descending supraspinal antinociceptive circuit with an opioid link in nucleus accumbens. We propose that the main effect of the straight spinal input into the limbic system is to facilitate nociceptive sensitivity, but not to suppress nociceptive transmission on the level of the spinal cord.In the present study, we made an attempt to detect more exactly the laminar distribution of spinomesencephalic, spinothalamic and spinotelencephalic tract neurons and to estimate the character of axonal collateralization in these spino-supraspinal pathways in the rat by means of retrograde double-labelling of cells with Fluoro-Gold (FG) and Primuline O (Pr). We found that sources of spino-supraspinal pathways to the upper centers of the brain stem, nucleus ac-cumbens and septal nuclei were mixed together in the marginal zone, deep dorsal horn, reticulated area, lamina X and the lateral spinal nucleus, but have as a rule their own discrete projection fields. Thus, spino-supraspinal projections could be characterized as extensive but not diffuse according to the current concept of structural and functional organization of the ascending spinal systems related with pain or motivational-affective reactions connected with pain. It was shown recently that suppression of tonic activity in an ascending spino-supraspinal pathway activates a descending supraspinal antinociceptive circuit with an opioid link in nucleus accumbens. We propose that the main effect of the straight spinal input into the limbic system is to facilitate nociceptive sensitivity, but not to suppress nociceptive transmission on the level of the spinal cord

Sex and age related differences of the human corpus callosum studied by magnetic resonance imaging

In this study, sex and age related differences of the human corpus callosum were studied by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 301 normal individuals (154 females and 147 males) without apparent neuropathology were examined on T1-weighted midsagittal brain sections. Maximum length and the corpus callosum index [(maximum length of the corpus callosum/hemisphere length at the same horizontal plane) x 100] did not show a signiticant difference between the sexes in age-matched subgroups (p>0.05). The corpus callosum maximum length decreased with chronological age in females but not in males, while the corpus callosum index did not change. Corpus callosum was divided into three segments using the straight-Iine method and area of the three segments and total callosal area were measured. No sex differences could be found for these parameters (p>0.1 ).In this study, sex and age related differences of the human corpus callosum were studied by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 301 normal individuals (154 females and 147 males) without apparent neuropathology were examined on T1-weighted midsagittal brain sections. Maximum length and the corpus callosum index [(maximum length of the corpus callosum/hemisphere length at the same horizontal plane) x 100] did not show a signiticant difference between the sexes in age-matched subgroups (p>0.05). The corpus callosum maximum length decreased with chronological age in females but not in males, while the corpus callosum index did not change. Corpus callosum was divided into three segments using the straight-Iine method and area of the three segments and total callosal area were measured. No sex differences could be found for these parameters (p>0.1 )