Hippocampal interneurons co-express transcripts encoding the alpha7 nicotinic receptor subunit and the cannabinoid receptor 1.

ABSTRACT: The notion of functional interactions between the alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine (alpha7 nACh) and the cannabinoid systems is emerging from recent in vitro and in vivo studies. Both the alpha7 nACh receptor and the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) are highly expressed in the hippocampus. To begin addressing possible anatomical interactions between the alpha7 nACh and the cannabinoid systems in the rat hippocampus, we investigated the distribution of neurons expressing alpha7 nACh mRNA in relation to those containing CB1 mRNA. By in situ hybridization we found that the alpha7 nACh mRNA is diffusely expressed in principal neurons and is highly expressed in a subset of interneurons. We observed that the pattern of distribution of hippocampal interneurons co-expressing transcripts encoding alpha7

SUBMITTER: Morales M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2574619 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature