Origins of the glycinergic inputs to the rat locus coeruleus and dorsal raphe nuclei: a study combining retrograde tracing with glycine immunohistochemistry

The amino acid glycine is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brains tem and is likely involved in the tonic inhibition of the monoaminergic neu rons during all sleep-waking stages. In order to determine the neurons at t he origin of the glycinergic innervation of the two principal monoaminergic nuclei, the locus coeruleus and the dorsal raphe of the rat, we applied a double-labelling technique, combining retrograde transport of cholera-toxin B subunit with glycine immunohistochemistry. Using this technique, we foun d that the locus coeruleus and dorsal raphe nuclei receive a common glycine rgic innervation from the ventral and ventrolateral periaqueductal grey, in cluding the adjacent deep mesencephalic reticular nucleus. Small additional glycinergic inputs to these nuclei originated from the lateral paragiganto cellular nucleus and the rostral ventromedial medullary reticular formation . The potential role of these glycinergic inputs in the control of the exci tability of the monoaminergic neurons of the locus coeruleus and dorsal rap he nuclei is discussed.