Compartmental ordering of cholinergic innervation in the mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus in human brain

The cholinergic innervation of the mediodorsal (MD) nucleus of the thalamus was visualized immunohistochemically in human brain postmortem, using an antibody against human choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). The ChAT staining of the MD nucleus was more intense than in the surrounding thalamic nuclei but weaker than that of the striatum. No ChAT-positive cell bodies were detected. The ChAT-positive neuropil was unevenly distributed, with patches of dense immunoreactivity contrasting with a weaker surrounding matrix. In adjoining sections stained for ChAT immunoreactivity and for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, the zones enriched in ChAT-immunostained neuropil corresponded to AChE-rich regions. The three-dimensional reconstruction of the richest zone in AChE/ChAT activity evidenced a cylindrical organization throughout the rostrocaudal axis of the MD nucleus. Counts of ChAT-positive varicosities confirmed an inhomogeneous distribution; the density of varicosities was 30% higher in ChAT-rich regions than in surrounding matrix. These findings suggest that the activity of intrinsic neurons within the nucleus may be differentially regulated by cholinergic systems.