TY  - JOUR
A1  - ,  
T1  - Differential density of blood vessels in the mesencephalon of Macaque brain stem
JO  - Eur. J. Anat.
SN  - 1136-4890
Y1  - 2003
VL  - 7
SP  - 121
EP  - 125
UR  - http://www.eurjanat.com/web/paper.php?id=03030121
KW  - acetylcholinesterase
KW  - animal tissue
KW  - article
KW  - brain blood vessel
KW  - brain nerve cell
KW  - brain nucleus
KW  - brain stem
KW  - catecholamine nerve cell
KW  - locus ceruleus
KW  - Macaca
KW  - male
KW  - mesencephalon
KW  - neuroanatomy
KW  - nonhuman
KW  - nutrient
KW  - periaqueductal gray matter
KW  - stereometry
KW  - substantia nigra
KW  - ventral tegmentum
N2  - The blood vessels (BV) of the brain stem show different patterns of development, and nutrient requeriments, metabolism and the activity of the different nuclei of the mesencephalon differ from one nucleus to another. The density of BV indirectly explains the blood flow intensity and physiological activity of the nuclei, and may explain the varying degrees of vulnerability of neurons to pathologies. To ascertain the different vascular densities of the mesencephalic nuclei, in the present work we used stereological methods to measure BV density in the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA), the Substantia Nigra pars compacta (SNpc), the A8 Catecholaminergic Cell group (A8), the Periaqueductal Grey Matter (PAG) and the Locus Coeruleus (LC) of two intact macaques. The results pointed to a high density of BV in the LC; a low density in the SNpc, and an intermediate density in the VTA, A8 and PAG. These results confirm the high blood metabolism of the LC and suggest that the vulnerability of SNpc neurons may be related to the observed low density of BV.
ER  -