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The serotoninergic system in the brain of the Japanese quail

An immunohistochemical study

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Summary

The presence and topographical localization of the serotoninergic system in the brain of the Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) have been studied by means of peroxidase-anti-peroxidase immunocytochemistry. The perimeter, diameter, area, and shape factor of immunoreactive cells have been recorded and analyzed morphometrically for intra- and interspecies comparison. The data reported here confirm and extend results previously obtained in the brain of other avian species. Serotonin-immunoreactive neurons of the quail are mainly located in the hypothalamic paraventricular organ and adjacent areas, and in the brainstem where they form three separate groups. The first of these groups consists of small-sized neurons located in the ventro-rostral mesencephalon. The second group is composed of medium-sized neurons located in the dorsal mesencephalo-pontine region. The third group is also formed by medium-sized neurons, and is located ventrally in the ponto-medullary region. In the quail brain, serotoninergic neurons are not restricted to nuclei located in the vicinity of the midsagittal plane, but show some lateralization, especially in the brainstem. The organization of the different groups of immunoreactive neurons based on this topographical distribution and morphometric analysis has been compared with descriptions of the serotoninergic system in other birds. Serotonin-immunoreactive nerve fibers are widely distributed throughout the brain, but appear to be particularly abundant in regions involved in the control of reproductive activities, such as the septal region, the medial preoptic nucleus, the nucleus intercollicularis, and the external zone of the median eminence. The data reported here have allowed the drawing of a map of serotoninimmunoreactive structure.

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Abbreviations

AVT :

area ventralis of Tsai

BC :

brachium conjunctivum

Cb :

cerebellum

CbI :

nucleus cerebellaris internus

CCV :

commissura cerebellaris ventralis

CNS :

central nervous system

CSF :

cerebrospinal fluid

CTz :

corpus trapezoideum

DIC :

differential interferential contrast

DL :

nucleus dorsolateralis thalami

DM :

nucleus dorsomedialis thalami

FIF :

formaldehyde-induced fluorescence

FLM :

fasciculus longitudinalis medialis

FRM :

formatio reticularis mesencephali

GCt :

substantia grisea centralis

GLv :

nucleus geniculatus ventralis

HB :

habenula

IO :

nucleus isthmo-opticus

IP :

nucleus interpeduncularis

IR :

immunoreactive

LC :

nucleus linearis caudalis

LHy :

nucleus lateralis hypothalami

LHRH :

luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone

LM :

lemniscus medialis

LoC :

locus coeruleus

LS :

lemniscus spinalis

MCC :

nucleus magnocellularis cochlearis

MnV :

nucleus motorius nervi trigemini

MPv :

nucleusmesencephalicus profundus, pars ventralis

N III :

nervus oculomotorius

nIV :

nucleus nervi trochlearis

N VI :

nervus abducens

N VIII :

nervus octavus

nDBC :

nucleus decussationis brachiorum conjunctivorum

nIX :

nucleus nervi glossopharyngei

nVI :

nucleus nervi abducentis

nX :

nucleus nervi vagi

nXII :

nucleus nervi hypoglossi

OI :

nucleus olivaris inferior

OM :

tractus occipito-mesencephalicus

OMd :

nucleus nervi oculomotorii, pars dorsalis

OMv :

nucleus nervi oculomotorii, pars ventralis

Ov :

nucleus ovoidalis

PAP :

peroxidase anti-peroxidase

PGL :

nucleus paragigantocellularis lateralis

PL :

nucleus pontis lateralis

PM :

nucleus pontis medialis

PVO :

paraventricular organ

QF :

tractus quintofrontalis

R :

nuclei raphes

Rgc :

nucleus reticularis, pars gigantocellularis

RP :

nucleus reticularis pontis caudalis

RPaM :

nucleus reticularis paramedianus

Rpc :

nucleus reticularis parvocellularis

RPgc :

nucleus reticularis pontis caudalis, pars gigantocellularis

RPO :

nucleus reticularis pontis oralis

Rt :

nucleus rotundus

Ru :

nucleus ruber

SC :

nucleus subcoeruleus

SG :

substantia gelatinosa Rolandi (trigemini)

ST :

nucleus subtrigeminalis

TPc :

nucleus tegmenti pedunculo-pontinus, pars compacta

Tu :

nucleus tuberis

TV :

nucleus tegmenti ventralis

VeD :

nucleus vestibularis dorsalis

VeL :

nucleus vestibularis lateralis

VeM :

nucleus vestibularis medialis

VeS :

nucleus vestibularis superior

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Anatomy of Domestic Animals, University of Milano, I-20100, Milano, Italy

    B. Cozzi

  2. Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology, Section Neuroanatomy and Neuroembryology, University of Torino, Corso Massimo d'Azeglio, 52, I-10126, Torino, Italy

    C. Viglietti-Panzica, N. Aste & G. C. Panzica

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  1. B. Cozzi
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  3. N. Aste
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Cozzi, B., Viglietti-Panzica, C., Aste, N. et al. The serotoninergic system in the brain of the Japanese quail. Cell Tissue Res 263, 271–284 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00318769

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