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High‐affinity neurotensin receptors in the rat nucleus accumbens: Subcellular targeting and relation to endogenous ligand

Neurotensin is present in selective mesolimbic dopaminergic projections to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell but also is synthesized locally in this region and in the motor‐associated NAc core. We examined the electron microscopic immunolabeling of the high‐affinity neurotensin receptor (NTR) and neurotensin in these subdivisions of rat NAc to determine the sites for receptor activation and potential regional differences in distribution. Throughout the NAc, NTR immunoreactivity was localized discretely within both neurons and glia. NTR‐labeled neuronal profiles were mainly axons and axon terminals with diverse synaptic structures, which resembled dopaminergic and glutamatergic afferents, as well as collaterals of inhibitory projection neurons. These terminals had a significantly higher numerical density in the NAc core than in the shell but were prevalent in both regions, suggesting involvement in both motor and limbic functions. In each region, neurotensin was detected in a few NTR‐immunoreactive axon terminals and in terminals that formed symmetric, inhibitory type synapses with NTR‐labeled somata and dendrites. The NTR labeling, however, was not seen within these synapses and, instead, was localized to segments of dendritic and glial plasma membranes often near excitatory type synapses. Neuronal NTR immunoreactivity also was associated with cytoplasmic tubulovesicles and nuclear membranes. Our results suggests that, in the NAc shell and core, NTR is targeted mainly to presynaptic sites, playing a role in the regulated secretion and/or retrograde signaling in diverse, neurotransmitter‐specific neurons. The findings also support a volume mode of neurotensin actions, specifically affecting excitatory transmission through activation of not only axonal but also dendritic and glial NTR. J. Comp. Neurol. 435:142–155, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.