Golgi-type I and Golgi-type II Neurons in the Ventral Anterior Thalamic Nucleus of the Adult Human: Morphological Features and Quantitative Analysis

Abstract

The morphological and quantitative features of neurons in the adult human ventral anterior thalamic nucleus were studied in Golgi preparations. Two neuronal types were found and their quantitative features were studied. Golgi-type I neurons were medium to large cells with dense dendritic trees and dendritic protrusions and short hair-like appendages. They have somatic mean diameter of 30.8 microm (+/-9.4, n = 85). They have an average 100.3 dendritic branches, 48.97 dendritic branching points, and 58.85 dendritic tips. The mean diameters of their primary, secondary, and tertiary dendrites were 3.1 microm (+/-1, n = 80), 1.85 microm (+/-0.8, n = 145), and 1.5 microm (+/-0.4, n = 160), respectively. Golgi-type II neurons were small to medium cells with few sparsely branching dendrites and dendritic stalked appendages with or without terminal swellings. They have somatic mean diameters of 22.2 microm (+/-5.8, n = 120). They have an average 33.76 dendritic branches, 16.49 dendritic branching points, and 21.97 dendritic tips. The mean diameters of their primary, secondary, and tertiary dendrites were 1.6 microm (+/-0.86, n = 70), 1.15 microm (+/-0.55, n = 118), and 1 microm (+/-0.70, n = 95), respectively. These quantitative data may form the basis for further quantitative studies involving aging or some degenerative diseases that may affect cell bodies and/or dendritic trees of the Golgi-type I and/or Golgi-type II thalamic neurons.

Neuronal cell types in the anterior ventral thalamic nucleus of the camel

“…Golgi-type I nerve cells found in this study were found to be generally similar to their counterparts previously described in other thalamic nuclei including the human anterior ventral, ventral anterior, ventral posterior, ventral lateral nuclei as well as medial geniculate, and lateral geniculate bodies (Al-Hussain Bani Hani et al, 2008;Braak & Braak, 1984;Grodd et al, 2020;Hajdu, Hassler, & Somogyi, 1982;Hani et al, 2007;Hazlett et al, 1976;Pearson & Haines, 1980;Schaltenbrand & Wahen, 1977;Tseng & Royce, 1986). In all these studies, Golgi-type I nerve cells were found to have medium to large cell bodies and dense dendritic trees.…”

“…If these axons of the camel brain thalamic AV nucleus were really with no branches, this may make them functionally different from their counterparts in other thalamic nuclei mentioned above. Special interest is the absence of these branches in the long segment of the Golgi-type II axons that were impregnated in the human AV nucleus (Al-Hussain Bani Hani et al, 2008;Hani et al, 2007). Therefore, these axons might make synapses with cells away from their native cells within the AV nucleus itself or in other thalamic nuclei or they might also be projecting to areas out of the thalamus such as the cerebral cortex.…”

“…The authors of the last study reported cell bodies of Golgi‐type I neurons with spines and appendages. Like their counterparts in the human AV nucleus (Al‐Hussain Bani Hani et al, 2008; Hani et al, 2007), the dendrites of these neurons have both radiating‐tufted dendritic branching patterns but with no dendritic spines or hair‐like appendages. A combined horseradish peroxidase (HRP) staining and electrophysiological study on the AV thalamic nucleus in cats identified relay, projection and interneurons (Yamamoto et al, 1985).…”

“…Giving that the human brain anterior ventral thalamic nucleus (AV) was already studied in our laboratory (Al-Hussain Bani Hani, El-Dwairi, Bataineh, Al-Haidari, & Al-Alami, 2008;Hani, Al-Haidari, & Saboba, 2007); we decided to study this nucleus in the camel brain. The AV thalamic nucleus is located immediately posterior to the interventricular foramen as a thalamic tubercle.…”