Parafascicular nucleus

Serotonin is also involved in opioid effects on the transmission and processing of nociceptive information at a level rostral to the PAG. Borszcz (1999) and Borszcz and Streltsov (2000) have demonstrated that the antinociceptive effect of morphine administered into the PAG can be attenuated be serotonin antagonism in the central nucleus of the amygdala and the parafascicular nucleus of the thalamus, suggesting that serotonin is also involved in pain processing in higher brain centers. 

As compared to the very high concentration of the Di receptor, D1B mRNA and D1B receptor in the rat were found in a lower concentration in the frontal cortex, NAc, olfactory tubercle, and striatum. In contrast, higher levels than Dj were found in distinct layers of the hippocampus, as well as in the mammillary nuclei and anterior pretectal nuclei (Tiberi et al., 1991 Meador-Woodruff et al., 1992 Ariano et al., 1997b). The parafascicular nucleus of the thalamus was found to be particularly rich in D1B receptors. 

Feger J, Mouroux M (1991) Demonstration of the excitatory effect of the thalamo-subthalamic efferent from the parafascicular nucleus. CR Acad Sci III 575 447-452. 

Parafascicular nucleus Subparafascicular nucleus Reunions nucleus Paratenial nucleus Paraventricular nucleus Rhomboid nucleus Thalamic reticular nucleus Lateral geniculate nucleus Medial geniculate nucleus... 

Ahlenius, S., 1978, Potentiation by haloperidol of the catalepsy produced by lesions in the parafascicular nucleus of the rat. Brain res. 150 648-652. 

Mouroux M, Feger J (1993) Evidence that the parafascicular projection to the subthalamic nucleus is glutamatergic. 

Royce GJ (1983) Cortical neurons with collateral projections to both caudate nucleus and the centromedian-parafascicular thalamic complex a fluorescent retrograde double labeling study in the cat. Exp. Brain Res., 50, 157-165. 

Cimsolo, S., Baldi. G., Gioigi, S., and Nannini, L, (1996). The cerebral cortex and parafascicular thalamic nucleus fticili-tate in vivo acetylcholine release in the rat striatum through distinct glutamate receptor subtypes. Eur. J. Neurosci. 8, 2702-2710. 

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