MAPPING THE ZINC-CONTAINING PATHWAYS IN THE BRAIN

最近的研究表明，锌起着重要的作用。 哺乳动物中枢神经系统中的神经调节作用。 现已知含锌神经元的特定群体 存在于大脑中，特别是在大脑的重要区域 认知和情感功能。然而，在这个时候，几乎没有 知道这些组织的位置或传出投影 神经细胞的。这里提出的研究目标是绘制出 大脑的主要含锌通路，使用大鼠作为 一个实验模型。 含锌神经元将锌隔离在它们的囊泡中。 轴子粒子。在目前的工作中，区域分布 含锌离子将通过使用两个 补充组织化学方法，neo-Timm‘s，它 选择性地标记含金属的碱基和喹啉 荧光，这是一种新开发的特异性标记物 锌。还将使用喹啉组织荧光法来获得 含锌元素相对数量的定量估算 在选定的大脑区域中的对数。 含锌纤维系统的传出路径将 通过传统的病变/变性方法进行研究，再加上 用锌组织化学来证明锌的丢失- 含有纤维退化后的外包子。为了补充 部分病例的退行性研究，逆行轴突 标记锌离子的传输将被用来定位起源细胞。 这一结果将揭示一些 大脑中主要的含锌回路，提供了 为未来的理论和实验奠定经验基础 这些神经元。

Recent studies indicate that zinc plays important neuromodulatory roles in the mammalian central nervous system. Specific populations of zinc-containing neurons are now known to be present in the brain, particularly in areas important for cognitive and emotional function. At this time however, little is known about the locations or efferent projections of these groups of neurons. The goal of the research proposed here is to map the principal zinc-containing pathways of the brain, using the rat as an experimental model. Zinc-containing neurons sequester zinc in the vesicles of their axon boutons. In the present work, the regional distribution of zinc-containing boutons will be determined by use of two complementary histochemical methods, neo-Timm's, which selectively labels metal-containing boutons, and quinoline fluorescence, which is a newly-developed specific marker for zinc. Quinoline histofluorometry will also be used to obtain quantitative estimates of the relative numbers of zinc-containing boutons in selected brain regions. The efferent pathways of the zinc-containing fiber systems will be studied by conventional lesion/degeneration methods, coupled with zinc-histochemistry to demonstrate the loss of zinc- containing boutons after fiber degeneration. To complement the degeneration studies in selected cases, retrograde axonal transport of labeled zinc ions will be used to locate cells of origin. The results will reveal the anatomical organization of some of the principal zinc-containing circuits in the brain, providing an empirical foundation for future theory and experimentation on these neurons.