REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF GLUTAMATE DECARBOXYLASE AND GABA WITHIN THE AMYGDALOID COMPLEX AND STRIA TERMINALIS SYSTEM OF THE RAT

The distribution of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) and δ‐amino butyric acid have been studied in the amygdaloid complex and in the stria terminalis system of the rat. The central and medial nuclei of the amygdala had significantly higher activities of GAD than the lateral olfactory tract nucleus, anterior amygdala, anterior lateral nucleus, posterior lateral nucleus, cortical nucleus, basomedial nucleus, basolateral nucleus, and pyriform cortex. The enzyme activity was about two and a half times higher in the central and medial nuclei than in the pyriform cortex. GABA was also significantly more concentratcd in these nuclei than in the pyriform cortex although this was not true for four other amino acids studied–glutamic acid, aspartic acid, taurine and glycine. GAD activity was also measured in the stria terminalis (the major afferent and efferent pathway of the amygdala) and in its bed nucleus. The enzyme activity was higher in the stria terminalis than in four other fibre tracts studied–the optic tract, anterior commissure, corpus callosum, and fimbria. GAD activity was exceptionally high in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis particularly in its ventral part. The significance of the results are discussed in terms of what is known about the evolution and anatomy of the amygdala.

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