mPOA-VTA efferents contain GABA and DA receptors. (a) Confocal photomicrograph demonstrating co-localization of mPOA-VTA efferents (Fluorogold, blue), GABA (green), and D2R (red). Analyses of mPOA-VTA efferents revealed that 67.6 ± 6.5% contained GABA, 76.3 ± 6.5% contained D2R, while 58.3% ± 7.3% contained both GABA and D2R, indicated by arrows. (b) Following injection of the anterograde tract tracer biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) into the mPOA, qualitative analyses of BDA (green) and the vesicular transporter protein for GABA (VGAT, red) in the VTA revealed that most BDA-positive fibers contained VGAT, further validating the GABAergic profile of this pathway. Also shown here is DAPI nuclear labeling in blue; scale bars are 10 µm.