Faculty Collaboration Database

GABA(A) receptor subunit expression within hypophysiotropic CRH neurons: a dual hybridization histochemical study. J Comp Neurol 2000 Apr 10;419(3):344-51

Date

03/21/2000

Pubmed ID

10723009

DOI

10.1002/(sici)1096-9861(20000410)419:3<344::aid-cne6>3.0.co;2-z

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0034007564 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   112 Citations

Abstract

Dual hybridization histochemical studies were conducted to investigate the extent of colocalization of mRNA transcripts encoding the alpha1-2 and beta1-3 subunits of the gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA)(A) receptor with those for corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) within the rat hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). A vast majority of CRH neurons (>94.5%) were found to express transcripts specific for the the alpha2, beta1 and beta3 subunits; mRNAs for the alpha1 and beta2 subunits of the GABA(A) receptor were detected within 53.3% and 65.7% of PVN CRH neurons, respectively. The results may have important implications for studies aimed at understanding GABAergic influences upon the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis. Hypophysiotropic CRH neurons serve as the origin of the final common pathway for glucocorticoid secretion in response to stressful stimuli, and GABAergic afferents have been implicated in afferent control of these neurons. The subunit composition of GABA(A) receptors at this key regulatory locus may affect the efficacy of a major inhibitory input, and thus the magnitude and/or duration of stress-induced glucocorticoid secretion. The present findings reveal basal expression patterns of transcripts encoding several subunits of the GABA(A) receptor within stress-integrative CRH neurons, data which may be used to guide regulatory studies of GABAergic influences on the HPA axis under a variety of conditions.

Author List

Cullinan WE

Author

William E. Cullinan PhD Adjunct Associate Professor in the Neurosurgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Animals
Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone
Histocytochemistry
In Situ Hybridization
Male
Neurons
Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus
Protein Isoforms
RNA, Messenger
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Receptors, GABA-A