Cited by 112Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchNeurological disorders and treatments

Effects of dopamine depletion on the morphology of medium spiny neurons in the shell and core of the rat nucleus accumbens

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Meredith, GE, Ypma, P, Zahm, DS·1995·The Journal of Neuroscience

Abstract

Nucleus accumbens receives a dense dopaminergic innervation which is important in regulating motivated states of behavior such as goal-directed actions, stimulus-reward associations and reinforcement of addictive substances. The shell and core territories of this nucleus each receive functionally and morphologically distinct dopaminergic inputs and lesions of the ascending pathways totally deprive the core but not the shell of dopaminergic fibers. Medium spiny neurons are the principal targets of dopaminergic terminals. The present study explored whether the loss of dopamine inputs can affect these neurons and whether cells in the shell and core would be equally susceptible to such a loss. Intracellular injection in fixed slices and neuronal reconstruction were used to analyze the dendritic trees of 62 neurons in the shell and core of animals that received a unilateral, chronic 6-hydroxydopamine lesion of the medial forebrain bundle. In the dopamine-depleted core, dendrites are significantly shorter (16% decrease) than in the intact core and in both the dopamine-depleted core and lateral shell, dendrites are less spiny than in respective control regions. Dopamine loss in the medial shell is associated with significantly more tortuous dendrites that are lower in spine density. However, the number of spines is not reduced which may mean that the increase recorded for segment length, although insignificant in tests, could be responsible for the change in spine density. These data suggest that the loss of dopamine can affect accumbal neuronal morphology and, moreover, can affect neuronal structures differentially in the shell and core.

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Crossref · 10.1523/jneurosci.15-05-03808.1995

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  1. Groenewegen HJ, Berendse HW, Meredith GE, Haber SN, Voorn P, Wolters JG, Lohman AHM (1991) Functional anatomy of the ven- tral, limbic system innervated striatum. In: The mesolimbic dopamine system: from motivation to action (Willner P Scheel-Kruger J, eds), pp 19-59. Chichester: Wiley.

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Authors
Meredith, G., Ypma, P., & Zahm, D.
Affiliations
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
Venue
The Journal of Neuroscience
Published
1995-05-01
Volume
15
Issue
5
Pages
3808-3820
ISSN
  • 0270-6474 (ISSN-L)
  • 1529-2401
OpenAlex
W1589481227
Cited by
112
References
68
Citations by year
2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 5
FWCI
1.87
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • U.S. Public Health Service
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS23805, R01NS023805)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Neurological disorders and treatments
Keywords
dopamine depletion, medium spiny neurons, nucleus accumbens, dendritic morphology, dendritic spines, dendritic spine density, 6-hydroxydopamine lesion, medial forebrain bundle, dopaminergic innervation, neuron reconstruction
MeSH terms
Animals, Dendrites, Dopamine, Male, Nerve Endings, Neurons, Nucleus Accumbens, Reference Values, Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase, Prosencephalon, Oxidopamine, Rats, Wistar, Rats

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