Distribution of VGLUT2 mRNA-positive, VTA-projecting neurons
| Structure | Percentage of total | |
|---|---|---|
| Ipsilateral | Contralateral | |
| Lateral hypothalamic area | 10.3 ± 1.1 | 3.6 ± 0.9 |
| Lateral preoptic area | 6.7 ± 1.9 | 1.5 ± 0.4 |
| Mesopontine central graya | 6.6 ± 2.5 | 2.2 ± 0.8 |
| Medial hypothalamusb | 6.1 ± 0.7 | 2.2 ± 0.7 |
| Ventral pallidum | 5.3 ± 1.4 | 1.6 ± 0.4 |
| Mesopontine reticular formationc | 5.0 ± 0.6 | 4.3 ± 0.9 |
| Lateral habenula | 4.8 ± 1.0 | 2.0 ± 0.7 |
| Pedunculopontine and laterodorsal tegmental nuclei | 4.0 ± 0.5 | 2.5 ± 0.1 |
| Medial preoptic area | 3.5 ± 0.8 | 1.1 ± 0.1 |
| Parabrachial nucleus | 3.5 ± 0.6 | 1.6 ± 1.1 |
| Median raphe | 3.1 ± 0.7 | NA |
| Cuneiform nucleus | 2.5 ± 0.4 | 2.0 ± 0.7 |
| Medial septum/diagonal band | 2.3 ± 0.5 | 0.3 ± 0.1 |
| Septofimbrial nucleus | 1.8 ± 0.7 | 0.1 ± 0.1 |
| Basal forebraind | 1.7 ± 0.2 | 0.3 ± 0.1 |
| Ventral endopiriform area | 0.8 ± 0.1 | 0 |
| Otherse | 4.0 ± 0.7 | 2.3 ± 0.5 |
Values are percentages of total VGLUT2–VTA-projecting neurons and are listed in descending order; n = 4 rats (617, 811, 873, and 1014 double-labeled neurons per series of sections, respectively, were plotted). NA, Not applicable.
↵aIncludes periaqueductal gray and pontine central gray.
↵bIncludes anterior hypothalamic area; paraventricular, ventromedial, and posterior hypothalamic nuclei; tuber cinereum; and dorsal hypothalamic area.
↵cIncludes deep field of mesencephalic reticular formation and oral and caudal field of pontine reticular formation.
↵dIncludes subcommissural and sublenticular extended amygdala and sublenticular substantia innominata.
↵eIncludes claustrum, anteroventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, ventral tier of zona incerta, parafascicular thalamic nucleus, supramammillary nucleus, and superior colliculus.