Laterodorsal tegmental neurons

Kodama, T. Koyama, Y. (2006). Nitric oxide from the laterodorsal tegmental neurons its possible retrograde modulation on norepinephrine release from the axon terminal of the locus coeruleus neurons. Neuroscience 138, 245-56. 

Nicotine is the main psychoactive ingredient of tobacco and is responsible for the stimulant effects and abuse/ addiction that may result form tobacco use. Cigarette smoking rapidly (in about 3 sec ) delivers pulses of nicotine into the bloodstream. Its initial effects are caused by its activation of nicotinic acetylcholine (nACh) receptors. nACh receptors are ligand-gated ion-channels and pre- and postsynaptically located. Reinforcement depends on an intact mesolimbic dopamine system (VTA). nACh receptors on VTA dopamine neurons are normally activated by cholinergic innervation from the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus or the pedunculopontine nucleus. 

The second cluster of neurons lies more caudally, near the pons, in the pedunculo-pontine (PPT) and laterodorsal tegmental (LDT) nuclei (see Fig. 22.6) and could be regarded as part of the ARAS (see McCormick 1992). It innervates the non-specific thalamic nuclei as well as some more specific ones like the lateral geniculate nucleus (visual pathway), the pontine reticular formation and occipital cortex. Because long... 

Imon, H., Ito, K., Dauphin, L. McCarley, R. W. (1996). Electrical stimulation of the cholinergic laterodorsal tegmental nucleus elicits scopolamine-sensitive excitatory postsynaptic potentials in medial pontine reticular formation neurons. Neuroscience 74, 393-401. 

Luebke, J. I., Greene, R. W., Semba, K. et at (1992). Serotonin hyperpolarizes cholinergic low-threshold burst neurons in the rat laterodorsal tegmental nucleus in vitro. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89, 743-7. 

Kayama, Y Ohta, M. Jodo, E. (1992). Firing of possibly cholinergic neurons in the rat laterodorsal tegmental nucleus during sleep and wakefulness. Brain Res. 569, 210-20. 

Clements, J. R., Toth, D. D., Highfield, D. A. 8r Grant, S. J. (1991). Glutamate-like immunoreactivity is present within cholinergic neurons of the laterodorsal tegmental and pedunculopontine nuclei. Adv. Exp. Med. Biolo. 295, 127-42. 

Honda, T. Semba, K. (1995). An ultrastructural study of cholinergic and non-chohnergic neurons in the laterodorsal and pedunculopontine tegmental nuclei in the rat. Neuroscience 68, 837-53. 

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