Ultrastructural evidence for intra‐ and extranuclear projections of GABAergic neurons of the suprachiasmatic nucleus
The Journal of Comparative NeurologyPublished 15 February 1994Open access
Ruud M. Buijs, Yang‐Xun Hou, Susan Shinn, Leo P. Renaud
Citations135
Generate an AI Snapshot to get a quick, structured summary of this paper.
Study Snapshot
ObjectiveStudy objective
MethodsResearch methodology
PopulationPopulation studied
Sample sizeSample sizes
OutcomesStudy outcomes here
ResultsStudy results comes here
LimitationsResearch study limitations comes here
A concise AI-generated summary of the paper will appear here once you click Generate AI Snapshot.
TL;DR
The present results indicate that the SCN may utilize this inhibitory neurotransmitter to regulate and organize its own circadian rhythm as well as using GABA to transmit its diurnal information to other regions of the brain.
Abstract
GABAergic projections of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) were demonstrated in a double-labelling ultrastructural study which visualised the efferents of the SCN by PHA-L tracing, diaminobenzidine (DAB) immunocytochemistry, and GABA with immunogold postembedding staining. The results show a strong contralateral projection of the SCN that is partly GABA-containing. In addition, ipsilateral SCN projections to the dorsomedial hypothalamus and periventricular part of the paraventricular nucleus and sub-paraventricular nucleus were shown to contain GABA. The present results indicate that the SCN may utilize this inhibitory neurotransmitter to regulate and organize its own circadian rhythm as well as using GABA to transmit its diurnal information to other regions of the brain.
Keywords
Neuroscience
ScienceTransplanted Suprachiasmatic Nucleus Determines Circadian Period
1,832 Citations1990Martin R. Ralph, F. Foster +2 more
The pacemaker role of the suprachiasmatic nucleus in a mammalian circadian system was tested by neural transplantation by using a mutant strain of hamster that shows a short circadian period to restore circadian rhythms to arrhythmic animals whose own nucleus had been ablated.
Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesPersistence of circadian rhythmicity in a mammalian hypothalamic "island" containing the suprachiasmatic nucleus.
984 Citations1979Sachiye Inouye, Hiroshi Kawamura
Simultaneous recording from two extracellular electrodes indicated neural activity at two sites in the brain, one of which is in or near the suprachiasmatic nucleus and the other in one of many other brain locations, which indicated clear circadian rhythmicity of spontaneous neural activity.
PubMedOrganization and function of a central nervous system circadian oscillator: the suprachiasmatic hypothalamic nucleus.
688 Citations1983Moore Ry
It is concluded from available data that the suprachiasmatic hypothalamic nuclei (SCN) are the principal circadian oscillators in the rodent brain and that a retinohypothalamic projection terminating in the SCN is the primary visual pathway subserving entrainment of circadian rhythms.
The Journal of Comparative NeurologyEfferent projections of the suprachiasmatic nucleus: I. Studies using anterograde transport of <i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> leucoagglutinin in the rat
669 Citations1987Alan G. Watts, Larry W. Swanson +1 more
The efferent projections of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCh) in the rat hypothalamus have been reexamined with the anterograde tracer Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA‐L), which displays labeled axons with the clarity of a Golgi impregnation.
Neuroscience LettersGABA is the principal neurotransmitter of the circadian system
549 Citations1993Robert Y. Moore, Joan C. Speh
It is demonstrated that neurons of both nuclei colocalize GABA with peptides in the IGL and SCN, and GABA should be considered the principal neurotransmitter of the circadian system.
Journal of NeuroscienceCircadian rhythmicity restored by neural transplant. Immunocytochemical characterization of the graft and its integration with the host brain
543 Citations1987Michael N. Lehman, Rae Silver +4 more
It is shown that implantations of brain grafts containing the fetal SCN reestablish circadian rhythms of locomotor activity in adult hamsters previously made arrhythmic by SCN lesions.
The Journal of Comparative NeurologyThe afferent connections of the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the golden hamster with emphasis on the retinohypothalamic projection
397 Citations1982Gary E. Pickard
The afferent connections of the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the golden hamster were examined using horseradish peroxidase (HRP) as the retrograde tracer molecule.
Neuroscience LettersCircadian rhythms in electrical discharge of rat suprachiasmatic neurones recorded in vitro
324 Citations1982G. A. Groos, Jan Hendriks
The SCN explant is capable of endogenous generation of at least one circadian cycle in vitro and exhibited a circadian rhythm similar to that reported for the SCN in freely moving animals.
The Journal of Comparative NeurologyVentral lateral geniculate nucleus efferents to the rat suprachiasmatic nucleus exhibit avian pancreatic polypeptide‐like immunoreactivity
294 Citations1982J. Patrick Card, Robert Y. Moore
Observations in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the rat hypothalamus provide further information on the organization of afferents to the rat SCN and demonstrate that the vLGN projection is chemically distinct from other SCN afferentS.
NatureA benzodiazepine used in the treatment of insomnia phase-shifts the mammalian circadian clock
244 Citations1986Fred W. Turek, Susan Losee-Olson
It is reported that the acute administration of triazolam, a short-acting benzodiazepine commonly prescribed for the treatment of insomnia, induces a phase-shift in the circadian rhythm of locomotor activity in golden hamsters, which suggests a role for GABA-containing neurones in the mammalian circadian system.
NeuroscienceEfferent connections of the rat suprachiasmatic nucleus
216 Citations1981Friedrich K. Stephan, K. J. Berkley +1 more
Brain ResearchVasopressin fiber pathways in the rat brain following suprachiasmatic nucleus lesioning
208 Citations1982E.M.D. Hoorneman, Ruud M. Buijs
Findings indicate that the paraventricular nucleus and possibly the supraoptic nucleus form the major source for vasopressinergic pathways in the brain.
Brain Research BulletinThe hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nuclei: Circadian patterns of vasopressin secretion and neuronal activity in vitro
196 Citations1987Martha U. Gillette, Steven M. Reppert
The suprachiasmatic nuclei of Long-Evans rats are found to be capable of secreting the peptide vasopressin in a circadian pattern and the temporal profile of VP levels in SCN perfusate parallels that seen in cerebrospinal fluid, suggesting that the SCN might be both the pacemaker and a secretory contributor to this rhythm.
Brain ResearchAn autoradiographic determination of the efferent projections of the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus
193 Citations1981Mitchell L. Berk, Judith A. Finkelstein
The efferent projections of the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus (SCN) have been investigated by the use of the anterograde autoradiographic technique and the major extrahypothalamic projection is to the periventricular thalamic nucleus.
Brain ResearchCircadian rhythms of vasopressin release from individual rat suprachiasmatic explants in vitro
188 Citations1986David J. Earnest, Celia D. Sladek
This finding suggests that the suprachiasmatic nucleus contains one or more self-sustained circadian oscillators, and that this method of measuring circadian rhythms from individual suprchiasmatic organ cultures may prove to be a valuable model for elucidating the physiology and biochemistry of mammalian circadian pacemakers.
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral ReviewsStructure and function in circadian timing systems: Evidence for multiple coupled circadian oscillators
176 Citations1986Alan M. Rosenwasser, Norman T. Adler
This review describes several distinct lines of evidence which converge on the general hypothesis that circadian timing systems consist of multiple circadian oscillators, coordinated by both hierarchical and non-hierarchical coupling relationships.
Journal of NeuroendocrinologyLesions of the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus Indicate the Presence of a Direct Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide‐Containing Projection to Gonadotrophin‐Releasing Hormone Neurons in the Female Rat
169 Citations1993Eline M. van der Beek, V.M. Wiegant +3 more
It was demonstrated that approximately 45% of the GnRH positive neurons in the diagonal band of Broca, the preoptic and anterior hypothalamic area of female rats are innervated by VIP‐containing processes, and whether these VIP‐ containing fibres represent a direct projection of the SCN to the Gn RH system was investigated.
The Journal of Comparative NeurologyProjections of the suprachiasmatic nucleus to stress‐related areas in the rat hypothalamus: A light and electron microscopic study
154 Citations1993Ruud M. Buijs, Marry Markman +3 more
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the sites in the hypothalamus where the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) may influence corticosteroid secretion.
American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative PhysiologySuprachiasmatic nucleus lesion increases corticosterone secretion
149 Citations1993Ruud M. Buijs, Andries Kalsbeek +3 more
It is concluded that intact and SCN-lesioned animals have higher morning corticosteroid levels and respond both in the morning and evening with higher corticosterone levels after stress than do intact control animals, which indicate an inhibitory role of the SCN on cortingosteroid secretion.
Brain ResearchBicuculline blocks circadian phase delays but not advances
134 Citations1985Martin R. Ralph, Michael Menaker
Phase delays of hamster locomotor rhythms were blocked by bicuculline, a selective antagonist of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) activity, which suggests that GABA may be involved in the mediation of some, but not all, light input to the mammalian circadian system.
NeuroscienceGamma-aminobutyrate, gastrin releasing peptide, serotonin, somatostatin, and vasopressin: Ultrastructural immunocytochemical localization in presynaptic axons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus
128 Citations1986Anthony N. van den Pol
Results suggest that gamma-aminobutyrate, gastrin releasing peptide, somatostatin and vasopressin are contained in axons making contact with neurons of the suprachiasmatic nucleus, and may function as neurotransmitters here.
Annual Review of NeuroscienceNeurotransmitters in the Mammalian Circadian System
126 Citations1990Benjamin Rusak, Keshavan G. Bina
Evidence that the circadian pacemaker in the SCN continues to run, but cannot be entrained by light, when tetrodotoxin is used to block sodium-dependent action potentials is presented, suggesting that classical synaptic neurotransmission is important for entrainment but not for rhythm generation.
Annual Review of NeuroscienceNeurotransmitters In The Mammalian Circadian System
119 Citations1990Benjamin Rusak
Brain ResearchCircadian rhythms in spontaneous neuronal discharges of the cultured suprachiasmatic nucleus
111 Citations1990N. P. A. Bos, Majid Mirmiran
These organotypic explants, which had been cultured for several weeks in a chemically defined medium, showed alternating high and low levels of spontaneous neuronal discharges with a periodicity around 24 h, which can serve as a useful model to study the neuronal mechanisms underlying the generation of mammalian circadian rhythms.
Brain ResearchThe effects of GABA and benzodiazepines on neurones in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of Syrian hamsters
67 Citations1991Robert J. Mason, Stephany M. Biello +1 more
Results indicate that Benzodiazepine/GABA-evoked responses are at least partially mediated by GABAA receptors within the SCN and suggest that SCN may be a possible locus for the action of benzodiazepines in their induction of phase-shifts in circadian function.
Journal of NeurocytologyGABA neurons in the rat suprachiasmatic nucleus: Involvement in chemospecific synaptic circuitry and evidence for GAD-peptide colocalization
59 Citations1990Anne‐Marie François‐Bellan, Philippe Kachidian +4 more
It is demonstrated that γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) terminals provide an important afferent synaptic input to VIP neurons, together with vasoactive intestinal peptide or neuropeptide Y (NPY) immunoreactivity in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of colchicine pretreated and untreated rats.
Trends in NeurosciencesAltering the mammalian circadian clock with the short-acting benzodiazepine, triazolam
57 Citations1988Fred W. Turek, Olivier Van Reeth
If short-acting benzodiazepines can have similar effects on the human circadian clock, they could prove useful in reducing the symptoms associated with ‘jet-lag' and rotating shift-work schedules, as well as in the treatment of various physical and mental illnesses that have been associated with a disorder in biological timekeeping.
Progress in brain researchChapter 27 Peptidergic transmitters of the suprachiasmatic nuclei and the control of circadian rhythmicity
50 Citations1992Andries Kalsbeek, Ruud M. Buijs
The chapter proposes a hypothesis that VP released from the SCN projections may serve to inhibit arousal during the inactive part of an animal's sleep/waking cycle and suggests that the inhibitory effect of vasopressin involves the hypothalamo-pituitary pathway.
Brain ResearchBicuculline and picrotoxin block phase advances induced by GABA agonists in the circadian rhythm of locomotor activity in the golden hamster by a phaclofen-insensitive mechanism
35 Citations1990Richard D. Smith, Fred W. Turek +1 more
When activated by exogenous GABAergic agents, a GABAergic system associated with both GABAA and GABAB receptors exists as a neural regulatory mechanism that can reset the mammalian circadian clock, however, GABAergic synaptic pathways may not be normally involved in the circadian timing system.
Brain ResearchTracing SCN graft efferents with Dil
26 Citations1991Reşit Canbeyli, Michael N. Lehman +1 more
The observation of limited graft-host connectivity suggests either that a limited number of efferents is sufficient to support circadian locomotor rhythmicity, or that the mechanism mediating restoration of function entails a diffusible substance.
Progress in brain researchChapter 25 Neurotransmitter colocalization and circadian rhythms
24 Citations1992H. Elliott Albers, Shyh‐Yuh Liou +2 more
The ratio hypothesis proposed in the chapter provides a theoretical framework for investigating the role of vaso-active intestinal peptide, peptide histidine isoleucine-27 (PHI), and gastrin releasing peptide (GRP) in the synchronization of circadian rhythms.
Neurochemistry InternationalThe stimulation of GABAB receptors increases serotonin release in the rat suprachiasmatic area
20 Citations1987Anne‐Marie François‐Bellan, Michel Héry +3 more
Results suggest that in the SCA, [(3)H]5-HT release is facilitated by the stimulation of GABA(B) receptors.
Brain ResearchThe circadian activity rhythms of rats with mid- and parasagittal ‘split-SCN’ knife cuts and pinealectomy
15 Citations1990Jack A. Yanovski, Alan M. Rosenwasser +2 more
The results of this study suggest that neither the direct commissural connection of the SCNs nor the humoral output of the pineal gland is indispensable for the expression of coherent circadian activity rhythms in the rat.