STRIATAL CALCITONIN GENE-RELATED PEPTIDE-LIKE IMMUNOREACTIVE AFFERENTS FROM THE REGIONS VENTRAL AND MEDIAL TO THE MEDIAL GENICULATE-NUCLEUS OF RATS

The sources of fibers with immunoreactivity to calcitonin gene-related peptide in the caudal portion of the caudate-putamen were investigated in animals treated by a knife cut, a tracer injection, or an electrolytic lesion of regions ventral and medial to the medial geniculate nucleus. Hemitransection of the brain just caudal to the caudate-putamen decreased ipsilaterally calcitonin gene-related peptide-like immunoreactivity in the caudal portion of the caudate-putamen, suggesting that calcitonin gene-related peptide-like immunoreactive fibers in the caudate-putamen originated from neurons in the area caudal to the caudate-putamen. Some calcitonin gene-related peptide-like immunoreactive neurons in the regions ventral and medial to the medial geniculate nucleus, including the peripeduncular, posterior intralaminar and suprageniculate nuclei, were labeled ipsilaterally with a retrograde tracer after an injection into the caudal portion of the caudate-putamen. In addition, an electrolytic lesion of calcitonin gene-related peptide-like immunoreactive neurons in the regions ventral and medial to the medial geniculate nucleus decreased the number of calcitonin gene-related peptide-like immunoreactive fibers in the ipsilateral caudal portion of the caudate-putamen. These results suggest that some cells containing calcitonin gene-related peptide in several posterior thalamic nuclei project to the caudal caudate-putamen.