IHEM   20887
INSTITUTO DE HISTOLOGIA Y EMBRIOLOGIA DE MENDOZA DR. MARIO H. BURGOS
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Intrinsic GABAergic System in the Adult Rat Pineal Gland
Autor/es:
S. BENITEZ; A. CASTRO; G. LANUZA; E. MUÑOZ
Lugar:
Huerta Grande, Córdoba.
Reunión:
Congreso; SAN2012; 2012
Institución organizadora:
Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencias
Resumen:
GABAergic markers were reported in pineal gland from different species, but their roles in the gland biology are unknown. In order to contribute in this field, we further characterized the components of the GABAergic system in the adult rat pineal gland. We also analyzed its potential relationship with the differentiation factor NeuroD1. Our hypothesis is that NeuroD1 might play an inhibitory role on the GABAergic phenotype. In this work, we characterized expression pattern of GABAergic markers and NeuroD1 protein via triple-labeling IHQ. In the pineal gland, the neurotransmitter, the biosynthetic enzymes GAD65 and GAD67, and subunits of the metabothropic receptor GABABR1 and GABABR2, are present. All these GABAergic markers were observed in a sub-population of vimentin-positive interstitial cells. We did not observe GABAergic markers in pinealocytes. Interestingly, at ZT 14, NeuroD1 localization was mainly nuclear in pinealocytes while in these interstitial cells was cytoplasmic. GABA and GABABR1 were also observed in cells present in blood vessel walls. Our results indicate that the GABAergic population in the adult rat pineal gland is represented by a small group of vimentin-positive interstitial cells and that GABAergic signaling might act on blood vessel physiology.