Organization of the corticostriatal projection from rat medial agranular cortex to far dorsolateral striatum.

The rat medial agranular cortex (AGm) projects bilaterally to the striatum, mainly to the dorsocentral striatum (DCS) and in a narrow band in the far dorsolateral striatum (FDLS). For the projection from AGm to DCS, axonal and synaptic densities are known to be two times greater in the ipsilateral versus contralateral DCS, producing a contralateral to ipsilateral ratio of 0.5. In the present study we wished to determine if this was also the case for the projection from AGm to FDLS. Injections of biotinylated dextran amine were made into AGm in normal rats, and unbiased sampling was used to quantify the density of axons and axonal varicosities present in the FDLS. Unlike the contra/ipsi ratio of 0.5 found in DCS, the FDLS exhibited a contra/ipsi ratio of 1.0 for both axonal and synaptic densities. While overall axonal densities were roughly equivalent in ipsilateral and contralateral FDLS, axonal density in the ipsilateral FDLS was uniform, whereas density in the contralateral FDLS increased from the medial edge of the band to its boundary at the external capsule. These differences in the bilateral projections of AGm to separate striatal regions raise questions regarding the populations of corticostriatal neurons in AGm that contribute to these projections.

Quantification of synaptic density in corticostriatal projections from rat medial agranular cortex.

Medial agranular cortex (AGm) has a prominent bilateral projection to the dorsocentral striatum (DCS). We wished to develop a normal baseline by which to assess neuronal plasticity in this corticostriatal system in rats with neglect resulting from a unilateral lesion in AGm, followed by treatment with agents that promote sprouting and functional recovery in other systems. Injections of biotinylated dextran amine were made into AGm in normal rats, and unbiased sampling was used to quantify the density of axons and axonal varicosities present in DCS (the latter represent presynaptic profiles). Labeling density in contralateral DCS is approximately half of that seen in ipsilateral DCS (this ratio is 0.50 for axons, 0.55 for varicosities). The ratio of varicosities is stable over a greater than seven-fold range of absolute densities. There is no consistent relationship between the absolute density of axons and axon varicosities; however, the ratio measures are strongly correlated. We conclude that changes in the contralateral/ipsilateral ratio of axon density after experimental treatments do reflect changes in synaptic density, but axon varicosities are likely to be the most sensitive anatomical parameter by which to assess plasticity at the light microscopic level.