Experimental neurology
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Experimental neurology · Sep 1992
Immunohistochemical changes of neuronal calcium-binding proteins parvalbumin and calbindin-D-28k following unilateral deafferentation in the rat visual system.
The neuron-specific calcium-binding proteins, parvalbumin and calbindin-D-28k, were studied in the subcortical visual system of normal and unilaterally deafferented albino rats. Immunohistochemistry with monoclonal antibodies was used on vibratome sections through optic tract (OT), dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN), olivary pretectal nucleus (OPN), and superior colliculus (SC). In controls, OT stained strongly for parvalbumin and weakly for calbindin-D-28k. ⋯ The decline in staining for calbindin-D-28k in dLGN may relate to reduced retinal afferent activity. The progressive cellular changes in parvalbumin staining may be related to unmasking of intrinsic neurons after removal of parvalbumin-containing, afferent fibers and terminals. Additionally, the changes of parvalbumin labeling in SC neurons may reflect a plastic reorganization of local circuits known to occur in rat SC in response to deafferentation.