Histochemical study of mucopolysaccharides in the subthalamic region of rats

Abstract

Histological sections of the Subthalamic region of rats were treated with solutions of: Toluidin Blue, Thionin, Alcian Blue and Colloidal Iron. The microscopic observation of the histological sections treated with those histochemic reactions showed the existence in the Subthalamic region of three neuronal types, differentiated between them because of the morphologic and histochemic points of view. In the Luys's Subthalamic nucleus was observed only one neuronal type, while in the nucleus of the Fobel's field and in the Zona incerta were found two very special types of neurons (α and β) differentiated between them because of their reaction before the Colloidal Iron. It is suggested the possibility that those different types of neurons have different functional characteristics.