Journal of Comparative Neurology最新文献

{"title":"A Novel Method for Culturing Telencephalic Neurons in Axolotls","authors":"Sevginur Bostan,&nbsp;Safiye Serdengeçti,&nbsp;F. Kemal Bayat,&nbsp;Sadık Bay,&nbsp;AyşeServer Sezer,&nbsp;Neşe Ayşit,&nbsp;Gürkan Öztürk","doi":"10.1002/cne.70066","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.70066","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The axolotl (<i>Ambystoma mexicanum</i>), a neotenic salamander with remarkable regenerative capabilities, serves as a key model for studying nervous system regeneration. Despite its potential, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying this regenerative capacity remain poorly understood, partly due to the lack of reliable in vitro models for axolotl neural cells. In this study, we developed a novel protocol for primary cultures of adult axolotl telencephalon/pallium, enabling the maintenance of viable and functionally active neural cells. Using calcium imaging and immunocytochemistry, we demonstrated the presence of neuronal and glial markers, synaptic connections, and spontaneous calcium activity, highlighting the functional integrity of the cultured cells. Our findings reveal that these cultures can be maintained in both serum and serum-free conditions, with neurons exhibiting robust neurite outgrowth and responsiveness to injury. This protocol addresses a critical gap in axolotl research by providing a controlled in vitro system to study neurogenesis and regeneration. By offering insights into the regenerative mechanisms of axolotl neurons, this work lays the foundation for comparative studies with mammalian systems, potentially informing therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative diseases and CNS injuries in humans.</p>","PeriodicalId":15552,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Neurology","volume":"533 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cne.70066","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144315006","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Canonical Proprioceptors Are Largely Absent in the Intrinsic Laryngeal Muscles of the Rat Larynx","authors":"Victoria X. Yu,&nbsp;Ignacio Hernández-Morato,&nbsp;Susan Brenner-Morton,&nbsp;Charlotte L. West,&nbsp;Yalda Moayedi,&nbsp;Michael J. Pitman","doi":"10.1002/cne.70062","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.70062","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Proprioception plays a crucial role in laryngeal function for voicing and swallowing. Despite this, the physiology of laryngeal proprioception is not well-understood, and controversy remains over whether canonical proprioceptive organs, like muscle spindles, even exist in the intrinsic laryngeal muscles. This study's primary aim is to determine whether the intrinsic laryngeal muscles contain muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organs using VGLUT1, a marker for proprioceptors. This is a novel approach, as prior studies have relied on morphology and myosin composition to study this question. Larynges of 62 Sprague-Dawley rats distributed across five age groups were immunostained with VGLUT1 and other neuromarkers. Muscle spindles were identified in the lateral thyroarytenoid muscles of just three P8 rats, and no Golgi tendon organs were noted. VGLUT1-positive intramuscular receptor-like entities and flower spray-like endings were found in the intrinsic laryngeal muscles, and mucosal formations were observed clustered at the medial surfaces of the arytenoid and aryepiglottic folds. Employing VGLUT1 immunostaining, this study shows that rat intrinsic laryngeal muscles rarely contain muscle spindles and do not possess Golgi tendon organs. This suggests the possibility that the larynx exhibits a unique proprioceptive apparatus. VGLUT1-positive intramuscular and mucosal structures provide candidates for an alternative system. Further defining the role of these structures will increase our understanding of vocal fold function and ultimately lead to better treatment of vocal fold disorders.</p>","PeriodicalId":15552,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Neurology","volume":"533 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cne.70062","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144300117","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Neural Repertoire Behind the World's Most Complex Retina: Neuroanatomy of the Stomatopod Lamina","authors":"Amy Streets,&nbsp;Hayley England,&nbsp;Justin Marshall","doi":"10.1002/cne.70063","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.70063","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The lamina is the first optic neuropil and visual information integration station in crustaceans and insects, containing synaptic connections between photoreceptors and first-order interneurons. The lamina circuitry in mantis shrimp (stomatopods) is both interesting and complex, as there are 16 different types of photoreceptors contained within the mid-band region of the eye. Using serial block-face scanning electron microscopy, we have reconstructed photoreceptor terminals and lamina interneurons in two major superfamilies with different visual ecologies. Neurons follow the same general pattern as other crustaceans but with notable differences in gross anatomy from insects. The photoreceptors form bulbous terminals in the lamina, following the same overall connectivity pattern in all lamina cartridges across species examined and eye regions. The photoreceptor terminals themselves appear to be complex, with many large mitochondria, a notable difference between insects and stomatopods. Connectivity between photoreceptors and interneurons, as well as cross-cartridge connections, is estimated based on neuronal overlap. Lamina monopolar cells follow previous research in stomatopods and crustaceans, with a set of common neuron types that may provide the beginning of an opponency circuit. Additionally, neurons that extend beyond their parent cartridge in the midband show a preference for branching between rows within the same visual column of cells, as well as some connections within the same row. This added complexity suggests that the stomatopod lamina performs a unique processing of visual signals versus other crustaceans and insects and provides further evidence for the emerging hypotheses around the processing of information by the scanning visual system of stomatopods.</p>","PeriodicalId":15552,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Neurology","volume":"533 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cne.70063","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144264499","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Principles for Dendritic Spine Size and Density in Human and Mouse Cortical Pyramidal Neurons","authors":"Ruth Benavides-Piccione,&nbsp;Isabel Fernaud-Espinosa,&nbsp;Asta Kastanauskaite,&nbsp;Javier DeFelipe","doi":"10.1002/cne.70060","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.70060","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Dendritic spines of pyramidal neurons are the targets of most excitatory synapses in the cerebral cortex, and dendritic spine morphology directly reflects their function. However, there are scarce data available regarding both the detailed morphology of these structures for the human cerebral cortex and the extent to which they differ in comparison with other species. Thus, in the present study, we used intracellular injections of Lucifer yellow to reconstruct—in three dimensions—the morphology of basal dendritic spines from pyramidal cells in the human and mouse CA1 hippocampal region and compared these spines with those of the human temporal and cingular cortex. We found that human hippocampal dendrites show lower spine density, larger volume, and longer length of dendritic spines than mouse CA1 spines. Furthermore, human hippocampal dendrites show higher spine density, smaller spine volume, and shorter length compared to dendritic spines from the human temporal and cingular cortex. This morphological diversity suggests an equally large variability of synaptic strength and learning rules across these brain regions in humans and between humans and mice. Nevertheless, a balance between size and density was found in all cases, which may be a cortical rule maintained across cortical areas and species.</p>","PeriodicalId":15552,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Neurology","volume":"533 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cne.70060","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144140434","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Otolith Irregular Fiber Stimulation Elicits a Rostro-Caudal Activity Gradient in the Vestibular Nuclear Complex and Both Direct and Indirect Afferent Pathways of the Vestibulocerebellum","authors":"Avril Genene Holt,&nbsp;Shana King,&nbsp;Syed Danial Naqvi,&nbsp;Rod D. Braun,&nbsp;David S. Bauer,&nbsp;Marie Anderson,&nbsp;William Michael King","doi":"10.1002/cne.70059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.70059","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The vestibular system is important for posture, balance, motor control, and spatial orientation. Each of the vestibular end organs has specialized neuroepithelia with both regular and irregular afferents. In otolith organs, the utricle and saccule, afferents most responsive to linear jerk (jerk—derivative of acceleration) are located in the striola and project centrally to the vestibular nuclear complex (VNC) as well as the uvula and nodulus of the vestibulocerebellum (VeCb). The pattern of central neuronal activation attributed to otolith irregular afferents is relatively unknown. To address this gap, c-Fos was used as a marker of neuronal activity to map the distribution of active neurons throughout the rostro-caudal extent of the VNC and VeCb in rats. Immunohistochemistry for c-Fos was performed to assess activation of VNC and VeCb neurons in response to a linear jerk stimulus delivered in the naso-occipital plane. Activated neurons were distributed throughout the VNC, including the lateral vestibular nucleus (LVe), magnocellular medial vestibular nucleus (MVeMC), parvocellular medial vestibular nucleus (MVePC), spinal vestibular nucleus (SpVe), and superior vestibular nucleus (SuVe). Notably, after stimulation, the MVePC exhibited the greatest number of c-Fos-labeled nuclei. Significant increases in c-Fos labeling were found in mid-rostro-caudal and caudal regions of the VNC in the LVe, MVe, and SpVe. Additionally, c-Fos labeling was observed across all regions of the VeCb after jerk stimulation. Significant increases in the number of labeled nuclei were found throughout the rostro-caudal extent of the nodulus and uvula. The distribution of neuronal activity suggests that regions receiving the greatest direct otolith input exhibit the most substantial changes in response to otolith-derived, irregular fiber stimulation.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":15552,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Neurology","volume":"533 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144085301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Alterations in Functional Connectivity Density in Patients With Phantom Limb Pain","authors":"Yalan Liao,&nbsp;Linqiong Sang,&nbsp;Qiannan Wang,&nbsp;Pengyue Li,&nbsp;Li Wang,&nbsp;Ye Zhang,&nbsp;Mingguo Qiu,&nbsp;Jingna Zhang","doi":"10.1002/cne.70058","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.70058","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Phantom limb pain (PLP) is prevalent and challenging to treat in amputees, which likely stems from maladaptive cortical reorganization, but the precise mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the cortical remodeling patterns in amputees experiencing PLP, pinpointing key brain regions and neural circuits directly associated with the pain. Eighteen PLP patients and 20 healthy participants were recruited for resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). The functional connectivity density (FCD) mapping method was used to identify PLP-related abnormal local and global signaling hubs. FCD changes were observed within the sensorimotor, pain-processing, and visual stream networks in PLP patients, with the precentral gyrus (PreCG), insula (INS), precuneus (PCUN), and middle occipital gyrus (MOG) identified as key hubs correlated with the visual analog scale (VAS) pain ratings. A voxel-wise functional connectivity (FC) analysis was further performed between the VAS-correlated FCD hubs and the rest of the brain. FC was significantly decreased between the hubs and widespread brain regions. In contrast, increased FC was revealed between the hubs and subregions of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) (the dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus [SFGdor] and middle frontal gyrus [MFG]). FC of the SFGdor-INS and MFG-PCUN pathways was negatively correlated with VAS pain ratings specifically, likely playing crucial roles in PLP. These results provide novel insights into the critical neural mechanisms of PLP, highlighting valuable targets for developing long-term effective neuromodulation modalities.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":15552,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Neurology","volume":"533 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143919475","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ontogenetic Changes in Endocranial Anatomy in Gorgosaurus libratus (Theropoda: Tyrannosauridae) Provide Insight Into the Evolution of the Tyrannosauroid Endocranium","authors":"Jared T. Voris,&nbsp;François Therrien,&nbsp;Ryan C. Ridgely,&nbsp;Lawrence M. Witmer,&nbsp;Darla K. Zelenitsky","doi":"10.1002/cne.70056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.70056","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Over the past two decades, increased accessibility to computed tomography (CT) scanners has greatly facilitated documentation of the endocranium in numerous extinct theropod taxa. However, most of these studies have focused on the morphology of mature individuals, thus changes or variation through ontogeny of the endocranium in theropods remains largely unknown. The current study sheds light on the endocranial anatomy of the eutyrannosaurian tyrannosauroid, <i>Gorgosaurus libratus</i>, in both an ontogenetic and evolutionary context. Based on CT scans of six <i>Gorgosaurus</i> braincases, including those of two recently discovered juvenile individuals, we virtually reconstruct and describe the endocranial morphology for a growth series of <i>G. libratus</i>. Despite considerable changes in skull architecture, relatively few ontogenetic changes occurred in the endocranium of <i>Gorgosaurus</i>. These changes include a subtle increase in the length of the hindbrain region of the endocast and increased inflation of the tympanic sinus diverticula in adults relative to juveniles. Among the most significant ontogenetic changes is a decrease in the distinctiveness of the brain morphology in endocasts as <i>Gorgosaurus</i> mature. The endocasts of juvenile <i>Gorgosaurus</i> exhibit better defined cerebral hemispheres, optic lobes, and cerebella than those of larger and more mature individuals. This suggests a closer correspondence between the endocast and the brain in juvenile tyrannosaurids, indicating the endocast of juvenile individuals provides a more accurate representation of the structure of the brain and its regions relative to the endocast of more mature individuals. The brain of <i>Gorgosaurus</i> displays a mix of basal archosaurian traits and more derived coelurosaurian traits. More primitive archosaurian features of the <i>Gorgosaurus</i> brain include large olfactory bulbs and tracts, a posteroventrally oriented long axis of the cerebrum, and posteriorly positioned optic lobes, whereas derived features include prominent hindbrain flexure, a somewhat enlarged cerebrum, and a cerebellum that at least partially separates the left and right optic lobes. An understanding of the evolutionary acquisition of such derived features leading to the avian brain may be further elucidated via the study of the endocasts of juvenile individuals (more reflective of the structure/organization of various brain regions) of earlier-diverging theropods (e.g., Allosauroidea, Megalosauroidea, and Coelophysoidea).</p>","PeriodicalId":15552,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Neurology","volume":"533 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cne.70056","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143879954","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular and Morphological Circuitry of the Octopus Sucker Ganglion","authors":"Cassady S. Olson,&nbsp;Aashna Moorjani,&nbsp;Clifton W. Ragsdale","doi":"10.1002/cne.70055","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.70055","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The octopus sucker is a profoundly complex sensorimotor structure. Each of the hundreds of suckers that line the octopus arm can move independently or in concert with one another. These suckers also contain an intricate sensory epithelium, enriched with chemotactile receptors. Much of the massive nervous system embedded in the octopus arm mediates control of the suckers. Each arm houses a large axial nerve cord (ANC), which features local enlargements corresponding to each sucker. There is also a sucker ganglion, a peripheral nervous element, situated in the stalk of every sucker. The structure and function of the sucker ganglion remain obscure. We examined the cellular organization and molecular composition of the sucker ganglion in <i>Octopus bimaculoides</i>. The sucker ganglion has an ellipsoid shape and features an unusual organization: the neuropil of the ganglion is distributed as a cap aborally (away from the sucker) and a small pocket orally (toward the sucker), with neuronal cell bodies concentrated in the space between. Using in situ hybridization, we detected positive expression of sensory (<i>PIEZO</i>) and motor (<i>LHX3</i> and <i>MNX</i>) neuron markers in the sucker ganglion cell bodies. Nerve fibers spread out from the sucker ganglion, targeting the surrounding sucker musculature and the oral roots extending to the ANC. Our results indicate that the sucker ganglion is composed of both sensory and motor elements and suggest that this ganglion is not a simple relay for the ANC, but facilitates local reflexes for each sucker.</p>","PeriodicalId":15552,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Neurology","volume":"533 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cne.70055","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143879955","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dopaminergic Central Neurons and Peripheral Sensory Systems in Pteropod and Nudibranch Molluscs","authors":"Tigran P. Norekian,&nbsp;Leonid L. Moroz","doi":"10.1002/cne.70054","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.70054","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In Euthyneuran molluscs, the distribution and plethora of dopamine (DA) functions are likely coupled to the feeding ecology with a broad spectrum of modifications both in the central and peripheral neural systems. However, studies of benthic grazers currently dominate the analysis of DA-mediated signaling, whereas adaptations to pelagic lifestyles and other feeding strategies are unknown. Here, we characterize the distribution of central and peripheral neurons in representatives of distinct ecological groups: the pelagic predatory pteropod <i>Clione limacina</i> (Pteropoda, Gymnosomata) and its prey — <i>Limacina helicina</i> (Pteropoda, Thecosomata), as well as the plankton eater <i>Melibe leonina</i> (Nudipleura, Nudibranchia). By using tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity as a reporter, we mapped their dopaminergic systems. Across all studied species, despite their differences in ecology, small numbers of dopaminergic neurons in the central ganglia contrast to an incredible density of these neurons in the peripheral nervous system, primarily representing sensory-like cells, which are predominantly concentrated in the chemotactic areas and project afferent axons to the central nervous system. Combined with tubulin immunoreactivity, this study illuminates the complexity of sensory signaling and peripheral neural systems in Euthyneuran molluscs with lineage-specific adaptations across different taxonomical and ecological groups.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":15552,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Neurology","volume":"533 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143880031","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Absolute Number of Thalamic Parafascicular and Striatal Cholinergic Neurons, and the Three-Dimensional Spatial Array of Striatal Cholinergic Neurons, in the Sprague-Dawley Rat","authors":"Rong Zhang,&nbsp;Jeffery R. Wickens,&nbsp;Andres Carrasco,&nbsp;Dorothy E. Oorschot","doi":"10.1002/cne.70050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.70050","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The absolute number of neurons and their spatial distribution yields important information about brain function and species comparisons. We studied thalamic parafascicular neurons and striatal cholinergic interneurons (CINs) because the parafascicular neurons are the main excitatory input to the striatal CINs. This circuit is of increasing interest due to research showing its involvement in specific types of learning and behavioral flexibility. In the Sprague-Dawley rat, the absolute number of thalamic parafascicular neurons and striatal CINs is unknown. They were estimated in this study using modern stereological counting methods. From each of six young adult rats, complete sets of serial 40 µm glycol methacrylate sections were used to quantify neuronal numbers in the right parafascicular nucleus (PFN). From each of five young adult rats, complete sets of serial 20 µm frozen sections were immunostained and used to quantify cholinergic neuronal numbers in the right striatum. The spatial distribution, in three dimensions, of striatal CINs was also determined from exhaustive measurement of the <i>x</i>, <i>y</i>, <i>z</i> coordinates of each large interneuron in 40 µm glycol methacrylate sections in sampled sets of five consecutive serial sections from each of two rats. Statistical analysis of spatial distribution was conducted by comparing observed three-dimensional data with computer models of 10,000 pseudorandom distributions, using measures of nearest neighbor distance and Ripley's <i>K</i>-function for inhomogeneous samples. We found that the right PFN consisted, on average, of 30,073 neurons (with a coefficient of variation of 0.11). The right striatum consisted, on average, of 10,778 CINs (0.14). The statistical analysis of spatial distribution showed no evidence of clustering of striatal CINs in three dimensions in the rat striatum, consistent with previous findings in the mouse striatum. The results provide important data for the transfer of information through the PFN and striatum, species comparisons, and computer modeling.</p>","PeriodicalId":15552,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Neurology","volume":"533 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cne.70050","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143871504","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}