Elsevier

Neuroscience Letters

Volume 270, Issue 2, 30 July 1999, Pages 95-98
Neuroscience Letters

Metabotropic glutamate receptors 2 and 3 expressed by astrocytes in rat ventrobasal thalamus

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3940(99)00484-XGet rights and content

Abstract

It has been reported that pharmacologic activation of metabotropic receptors mGluR2/3 may produce inhibition of GABAergic transmission in rat ventrobasal thalamus. We use double immunolabeling to show that: (i) mGluR2/3 is expressed in glial processes surrounding GABAergic terminals, rather than in the terminals themselves, and (ii) mR2/3 positive glial lamellae more frequently surround GABAergic terminals and ascending terminals, than cortical terminals. This suggests involvement of glia in glutamate/GABA interactions in the sensory thalamus.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. A. Rustioni for supporting every step of this research, Dr. R. Weinberg for his critical review of the manuscript, and K. Phend for her expert technical assistance. This work was supported by grants USPHS NS 16246 and HFSP R6–2/95 (to A. Rustioni).

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