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The parvalbumin-containing nonpyramidal neurons in the rat hippocampus

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Summary

The calcium-binding protein parvalbumin is considered to be involved in the control of intracellular ion homeostasis of highly active inhibitory neurons. A review of the light and electron microscopical features as well as the identified synaptic connections of these neurons is presented. Parvalbumin-containing neurons are mostly located within or in the vicinity of the granule or pyramidal cell layer. They form a subgroup of GABAergic neurons that has a target specificity for the cell body region. Their fine structural characteristics are identical to those known for hippocampal inhibitory neurons. Parvalbumin-containing neurons are involved in several inhibitory pathways: feed-back inhibition, feed-forward inhibition and disinhibition. The functional implications of our own as well as published data are discussed. Special consideration is given to the possible physiological role of parvalbumin in these neurons.

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  1. Eduardo Soriano

    Present address: Unit of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Diagonal 645, E-08028, Barcelona, Spain

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  1. Institute of Anatomy, University of Freiburg, Albertstrasse 17, D-7800, Freiburg, Federal Republic of Germany

    Robert Nitsch, Eduardo Soriano & Michael Frotscher

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  1. Robert Nitsch
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  2. Eduardo Soriano
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Nitsch, R., Soriano, E. & Frotscher, M. The parvalbumin-containing nonpyramidal neurons in the rat hippocampus. Anat Embryol 181, 413–425 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02433788

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