| First Author | Sano H | Year | 2007 |
| Journal | J Neurosci | Volume | 27 |
| Issue | 26 | Pages | 6948-55 |
| PubMed ID | 17596443 | Mgi Jnum | J:261686 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:6157946 | Doi | 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0514-07.2007 |
| Citation | Sano H, et al. (2007) Striatal medium spiny neurons terminate in a distinct region in the lateral hypothalamic area and do not directly innervate orexin/hypocretin- or melanin-concentrating hormone-containing neurons. J Neurosci 27(26):6948-55 |
| abstractText | Neuronal circuits including medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH)-containing neurons in the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) are hypothesized to play an important role in hedonic feeding. A reciprocal connection between NAc MSNs and MCH-containing neurons is proposed to form a neuronal circuit that is involved in hedonic feeding. Although NAc MSNs have been shown to receive projection from MCH-containing neurons, it is not known whether MCH-containing neurons in the LHA also receive direct inputs from NAc MSNs. Here, we developed a genetic approach that allows us to visualize almost all striatal MSNs including NAc MSNs. We demonstrate that striatal MSNs terminate in a distinct region within the anterior LHA, and that the terminal area of striatal MSNs in this region contains glutamatergic neurons and is distinctly separate from orexin/hypocretin- or MCH-containing neurons. These observations suggest that NAc MSNs do not directly innervate MCH-containing neurons, but may indirectly signal MCH-containing neurons via glutamatergic neurons in the anterior LHA. |
