Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
1
pubmed:dateCreated
2003-12-22
pubmed:abstractText
The adult WAG/Rij rat is a well-established animal model for human absence epilepsy characterized by the presence of spike-wave discharges (SWDs). The pacemaking activity of the rostral reticular thalamic nucleus (rRTN) has been demonstrated to be essential for SWD maintenance. We investigated if SWD maintenance can be related to the synaptic organization of the rRTN, by studying the ultrastructure of the rRTN of absence epileptic WAG/Rij rats in comparison with that of non-epileptic, age-matched ACI control rats. In WAG/Rij rats, D-, L- and F-type terminals constitute the synaptic organization of the rRTN. D-type synapses, especially axo-dendritic ones, occur frequently. L- and F-type terminals are common but less frequent than D-type terminals. Semi-quantitative observations indicate that all terminal types are present on different parts of the postsynaptic neuron, but in different numbers: they are frequent on dendrites, common on somata and axons, and occur occasionally on dendritic spines. In addition, occasionally an F-type terminal was observed on the axon hillock. The three terminal types are also involved in multiple synaptic configurations, convergent as well as divergent, with dendrites, somata, axon hillocks and axons as postsynaptic structures. Convergent synaptic configurations outnumber divergent ones. The synaptic organization of the rRTN of the non-epileptic ACI rat appears to be very similar to that of the epileptic WAG/Rij rat. This indicates that SWD maintenance in the WAG/Rij rat does not depend on a different synaptic organization of the rRTN.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jan
pubmed:issn
0168-0102
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
48
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
21-31
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2004
pubmed:articleTitle
Synaptology of the rostral reticular thalamic nucleus of absence epileptic WAG/Rij rats.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Cellular Animal Physiology, Nijmegen Institute for Neurosciences, University of Nijmegen, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Comparative Study