Input from central nucleus of the amygdala efferents to pericoerulear dendrites, some of which contain tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity

Light microscopic anterograde tracing studies indicate that neurons in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CNA) project to a region of the dorsal pontine tegmentum ventral to the superior cerebellar peduncle which contains noradrenergic dendrites of the nucleus locus coeruleus (LC). However, it has not been established whether the efferent terminals from the CNA target catecholamine‐containing dendrites of the LC or dendrites of neurons from neighboring nuclei which may extend into this region. To examine this question, we combined immunoperoxidase labeling of the anterograde tracer biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) from the CNA with immunogold‐silver labeling of the catecholamine‐synthesizing enzyme tryrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the rostrolateral LC region of adult rats. By light microscopy, BDA‐labeled processes were dense in the dorsal pons within the parabrachial nuclei as well as in the pericoerulear region immediately ventral to the superior cerebellar peduncle. Higher magnification revealed that BDA‐labeled varicose fibers overlapped TH‐labeled processes in this pericoerulear region. By electron microscopy, anterogradely labeled axon terminals contained small, clear as well as some large dense core vesicles and were commonly apposed to astrocytic processes along some portion of their plasmalemma. BDA‐labeled terminals mainly formed symmetric type synaptic contacts characteristic of inhibitory transmitters. Of 250 BDA‐labeled axon terminals examined where TH immunoreactivity was present in the neuropil, 81% contacted unlabeled and 19% contacted TH‐labeled dendrites. Additionally, amygdala efferents were often apposed to unlabeled axon terminals forming asymmetric (excitatory type) synapses. These results demonstrate that amygdaloid efferents may directly alter the activity of catecholaminergic and non‐catecholaminergic neurons in this pericoerulear region of the rat brain. Furthermore, our study suggests that CNA efferents may indirectly affect the activity of pericoerulear neurons through modulation of excitatory afferents. Amygdaloid projections to noradrenergic neurons may help integrate behavioral and visceral responses to threatening stimuli by influencing the widespread noradrenergic projections from the LC. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.