Archives of Biological Sciences 2013 Volume 65, Issue 3, Pages: 1149-1155
https://doi.org/10.2298/ABS1303149S
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Sexual dimorphism of medium-sized neurons with spines in human nucleus accumbens
Sazdanović Маја (Faculty of Medical Sciences, Department of Histology, Kragujevac)
Mitrović Slobodanka (Faculty of Medical Sciences, Department of Pathological Anatomy, Kragujevac)
Živanović-Mačužić Ivana (Faculty of Medical Sciences, Department of Anatomy, Kragujevac)
Jeremić D. (Faculty of Medical Sciences, Department of Anatomy, Kragujevac)
Tanasković Irena (Faculty of Medical Sciences, Department of Histology, Kragujevac)
Milosavljević Z. (Faculty of Medical Sciences, Department of Histology, Kragujevac)
Maliković A. (Medical Faculty, Department of Anatomy, Belgrade)
Ognjanović Neda (Faculty of Medical Sciences, Department of Anatomy, Kragujevac)
Sazdanović P. (Faculty of Medical Sciences, Department of Anatomy, Kragujevac)
Jovanović B. (CC Kragujevac, Obstetrics/Gynecology Clinic, Kragujevac)
Jovanović J. (CC Kragujevac, Obstetrics/Gynecology Clinic, Kragujevac)
Todorović M. (Faculty of Medical Sciences, Department of Forensic medicine, Kragujevac)
Toševski J. (Faculty of Medical Sciences, Department of Anatomy, Kragujevac)
The nucleus accumbens is a limbic nucleus, representing part of the striatum
body, and together with the caudate nucleus and putamen, it lies on the
septum. The aim of this study was to examine morphological sexual dimorphism
in spine density and also to undertake an immunohistochemical study of
expression for estrogen and progesterone receptors in the medium-sized
neurons in the nucleus accumbens. The research was conducted on twenty human
brains of persons of both sexes, between the age of 20-75 years. The Golgi
method was applied to determine the types and subtypes of neurons,
morphologies of soma, dendrites and axons, as well as the relations between
the cells and glial elements. The following were quantitatively examined: the
maximum diameter of the neurons, the minimal diameter of the neurons, and the
total length of the dendrites. The expression of receptors for estrogen and
progesterone, their distribution and intensity were defined
immunohistochemically. The parameters of the bodies of neurons in the shell
and core of the nucleus accumbens were studied in both men and women. No
statistically significant differences were found. Examination of the spine
density showed statistical significance in terms of a higher density of
spines in women. Immunohistochemically, in the female brain estrogen
expression is diffusely spread in a large number of neurons; it is extra
nuclear, of granular appearance and high intensity. In the male brain,
expression of estrogen is visible and distributed over about one half of
different types of neurons; it is extra nuclear, of granular appearance,
mostly of middle and low staining intensity. Expression of progesterone in
the female brain was very discreet and on a very small number of neurons; it
was extra nuclear and with a weak staining intensity. Expression of
progesterone in the male brain was distributed on a small number of neurons.
It had a granular appearance, it was extra nuclear, with a very low staining
intensity. Our results show differences in the morphology as well as
expression of receptors for estrogen and progesterone on medium-sized neurons
with spines in the nucleus accumbens of men and women.
Keywords: Nucleus accumbens, neurons, Golgi, estrogen, progesterone