Table 3.
Summary of methods used in studies on the dopaminergic innervation of the primate thalamus
| Molecule studied | Authors | Genus | Fixation | Postfixation | Technique used | Plane of cutting | Stereotaxic space | Thalamic nomenclature | Parcellation stains | Studied thalamic regions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DA, TH, and DAT | Sánchez-González et al. (2005) | Human, Macaque | Perfusion (PFA or PFA + GTA) | Immersion (PFA) [human tissue] | IMHQ | Coronal | YES | Olszewski (1952) | Nissl, AChE, Myelin | Whole thalamus |
| DA and DAT | García-Cabezas et al. (2007) | Human, Macaque | Perfusion (PFA or MBS + GTA) | Immersion (PFA) [human tissue] | IMHQ | Coronal | YES | Olszewski (1952) | Nissl, AChE, Myelin | Whole thalamus |
| DAT | García-Cabezas et al. (2009) | Macaque, Rat | Perfusion (PFA or PFA + GTA) | Immersion (osmium tetroxide) after IMHQ [only for EM] | IMHQ | Sagittal | YES | Olszewski (1952) | Nissl, AChE, Myelin | Whole thalamus |
| D2 receptors | Kessler et al. (1993) | Human | Unfixed | – | Autoradiography | Not specified | Not specified | Only major subdivisions | Not specified | Whole brain |
| D2 and D3 receptors | Gurevich and Joyce (1999) | Human | Immersion (PFA) and unfixed | – | In situ hybridization and autoradiography | Not specified | Not specified | Paxinos (1990) | Nissl, AChE | Whole brain |
| D2-like receptors | Rieck et al. (2004) | Human | Immersion (only for NPT assessment) | – | Autoradiography and PET | Coronal | Not specified | Mai et al. (1997) | Not specified | Whole brain |
AChE Acetylcholinesterase, DA dopamine, DAT dopamine transporter, EM electron microscopy, GTA glutaraldehyde, IMHQ immunohistochemistry, MBS sodium metabisulfite, NPT neuropathological, PET positron emission tomography, PFA paraformaldehyde, TH tyrosine hydroxylase