[THE CYTOARCHITECTONICS AND NEURONAL ORGANIZATION OF THE BASOLATERAL NUCLEUS OF THE AMYGDALA OF THE BRAIN IN ALCOHOL-PREFERRING AND ALCOHOLNONPREFERRING RATS].

Analysis of cytoarchitectonics of the basolateral nucleus (BLN) of the brain amygdala was performed in cresyl violetstained frontal paraffin sections of the brain in 10 alcoholpreferring (AP) and 10 alcohol-nonpreferring (ANP) rats (with an equal number of male and female animals in each group). The presence of large and small neurons was detected in BLN. Most of the large neurons in AP rats had the character of chromoneutral and moderately chromophilic cells, while in ANP rats these cells were moderately chromophobic. Application of Golgi method demonstrated that the equivalents of large neurons were long-axonal densely branched pyramid-like neurons, and those of small-sized neurons ­ short-axonal neurons. The determination of the ratio of large and smallsized neurons showed that in AP rats the proportion of latter was 12.3±0.6%, while in the ANP rats it was significantly greater ­ 19.70±0.23%. These results help to explain the previously obtained data on larger specific area of BLN in amygdala of ANP rats by the presence of greater number of interneurons than in AP rats.

[THE BASOLATERAL NUCLEUS IN THE SYSTEM OF REPRODUCTIVE CENTERS OF THE AMYGDALA].

In this review contains the systematized data available in modern literature, which characterize the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala as one of the sexual dimorphism zones (SDZ) and its relationship with other reproductive centers of the amygdala. The basolateral nucleus, as the structure of the phylogenetically new part of the amygdala--receives the major amount of the pheromone and olfactory information through phylogenetically old--corticomedial division of the amygdala. Integrating it with the sensory signals of different modality, coming from the thalamus and cortical formations, the basolateral nucleus, together with the SDZ of corticomedial division, participates in the organization of sexual behavior and regulation of gonadotropin secretion. Sexual dimorphism of the basolateral nucleus, which is involved in the functional system of emotion formation and memory mechanisms, determines sex-dependent features of their behavioral manifestations, especially in stress reactions.

[Structural and quantitative characteristics of the amygdala and primary somatosensory cortex of alcohol-preferring and alcohol non-preferring rats].

The aim of the study was the structural and planimetric characteristics of the nuclei and intermediate formations of corticomedial and basolateral groups of structures of the amygdala and the primary somatosensory cortex in 10 alcohol-preferring (AP) and 10 alcohol non-preferring (ANP) rats, as well as demonstration of the ifferences in concentration of dopamine and its metabolite--3,4 dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAK) in the amygdala. Measurements of absolute and specific areas of the structures studied were conducted on the cytoarchitectonic slides stained using Nissl cresyl violet method. No differences in the specific area of corticomedial and basolateral amygdala groups of structures were detected between two groups of rats studied. In ANP rats higher specific areas of the primary somatosensory cortex and of the amygdala in the left hemisphere were found, predetermined by the larger sizes of basolateral group. Analysis of DOPAK concentration in the amygdala revealed it in nearly equal quantities in AP and ANP rats, while, concentration of dopamine was significantly greater in AP rats. DOPAK/dopamine ratio was twice greater in AP rats which is indicative of dopamine accelerated metabolism.

[Cajal body in the neuroendocrine neurons of the paleoamygdala].

The article demonstrates the ultrastructure of Cajal body (CB) that was detected during the electron microscopic study of nucleoplasm of the neuroendocrine neurons of the paleoamygdala of the adult Wistar rats in the study of the dynamics of their functional states throughout the estrous cycle. CB is located in the nucleoplasm close to the nucleolus and appears as a polygon structure, having the size of 0.4 x 0.5 microm, consisting of twisted strands of 40 to 60 nm thickness, which are separated from each other by the material of low electron density, obviously, a continuation of the nucleoplasm. Structural association of CB with other nuclear domains--nucleoli, interchromatin granule clusters were not noticed. CB was found in neurons only at the stage of "return to the initial state", which characterizes the completion of the functional activity of neurons. The number of these neurons was increased at the stage of metestrus. They are characterized by a segregation of nucleolar components, indicating the blockade of the protein synthesis. This fact is associated with the restructuring of CB modular organization, caused by the functional state of neurons.

Structural and functional characteristics of the dorsomedial nucleus of the cerebral amygdaloid complex in male rats.

We developed a classification of neuroendocrine neurons of the dorsomedial nucleus of the cerebral amigdaloid complex of male rats; characteristics of these cells are presented.