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Abstract
Among sexual minorities, bisexual individuals experience higher rates of victimization and symptoms of PTSD than their lesbian and gay peers as well as heterosexual individuals. Despite these disparities, little work has examined factors contributing to PTSD symptoms among bisexual adults. The current study examined the associations between bisexual-specific minority stress and PTSD symptoms in a sample of adults with bisexual orientation and tested social support as a potential mediator of this association. Participants were 488 adults (378 cisgender women, 49 cisgender men, 61 transgender individuals), ages 18 to 66 years, with bisexual orientation based on identity and/or attraction to multiple genders. Greater anti-bisexual prejudice was associated with greater PTSD symptoms (β = 0.16) and lower social support (β = -.16), while accounting for sociodemographics and sexual identity-based victimization. Social support was associated with lower PTSD symptoms (β = -.25), while accounting for sociodemographics, sexual identity-based victimization, and anti-bisexual prejudice. Mediation analyses indicated that anti-bisexual prejudice was indirectly associated with greater PTSD symptoms through lower social support. Addressing bisexual-specific minority stress and its role in diminishing social support for bisexual individuals represents a critical component of trauma-informed research and intervention development in the bisexual community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie M Woulfe
- Syracuse University Barnes Center at the Arch, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | - Ethan H Mereish
- Department of Health studies, American University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Sabra L Katz-Wise
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachussets, USA
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2
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Jhe GB, Mereish EH, Gordon AR, Woulfe JM, Katz-Wise SL. Associations between anti-bisexual minority stress and body esteem and emotional eating among bi+ individuals: The protective role of individual- and community-level factors. Eat Behav 2021; 43:101575. [PMID: 34757266 PMCID: PMC8739806 DOI: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2021.101575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Bisexual individuals experience prejudice specifically related to their bisexual identity, and these experiences may compound extant risk for disordered eating behaviors and body esteem concerns. However, little is known about how sexual minority stress related to bisexual orientation is associated with emotional eating and body esteem. The current study examined the associations between bisexual-specific minority stress and emotional eating and body esteem in a sample of bisexual plus (bi+) adults (including bisexual, pansexual, queer, and those with attractions to more than one gender regardless of identity), and tested the moderating effects of identity centrality, affirmation, and community connectedness as potential protective factors. This study leveraged data from an online survey of 498 adults (77.46% cisgender women; 79.7% White), ages 18 to 64 years (M = 28.5; SD = 9.59). Bisexual-specific minority stress was associated with more emotional eating (β = 0.15, p = .013) and lower body esteem (β = -0.16, p = .005), while controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, body mass index, and heterosexist minority stress. This finding remained the same when sensitivity analyses were conducted with participants who identified specifically as bisexual. Identity centrality and affirmation and community connectedness did not demonstrate moderating effects but they had main effects, such that they were positively associated with body esteem (β = 0.16, p = .001; β = 0.21, p < .001; β = 0.13, p = .004, respectively). Results suggest that anti-bisexual minority stress has a unique association with bi+ individuals' emotional eating and body esteem, and identified potential individual- and community-level protective factors for body esteem. These findings inform future research and interventions for this understudied population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace B. Jhe
- Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America,Corresponding author at: Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, United States of America. (G.B. Jhe)
| | - Ethan H. Mereish
- Department of Health Studies, American University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Allegra R. Gordon
- Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America,Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Julie M. Woulfe
- Barnes Center at the Arch, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, United States of America
| | - Sabra L. Katz-Wise
- Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America,Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T. H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America
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3
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Woulfe JM, Goodman LA. Identity Abuse as a Tactic of Violence in LGBTQ Communities: Initial Validation of the Identity Abuse Measure. J Interpers Violence 2021; 36:2656-2676. [PMID: 29528799 DOI: 10.1177/0886260518760018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Intimate partner violence (IPV; i.e., physical, sexual, or psychological abuse by a current or former partner) remains a public health concern with devastating personal and societal costs. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals are also vulnerable to a dimension of IPV called identity abuse (IA); that is, abuse tactics that leverage systemic oppression to harm an individual. Yet, we know little about its relative prevalence in subgroups of the LGBTQ community. This study developed and evaluated a measure of IA, and explored its prevalence in a sample of 734 sexual minority adults. The sample included women (53.1%), men (27.4%), and transgender or gender nonconforming "TGNC" (19.3%) participants. The majority of participants identified as queer or pansexual (38.7%), then gay (23.6%), lesbian (22.8%), and bisexual (13.6%). Participants completed an online survey that included measures of IA and physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. The IA items formed a unidimensional factor structure with strong internal consistency and construct validity. Nearly one fifth of the sample (16.8%) experienced past year IA and 40.1% reported adult IA. Women experienced greater exposure to IA in adulthood than men, and TGNC participants reported higher rates of IA in adulthood and in the last year compared to their cisgender counterparts. The odds of queer or bisexual participants reporting IA in adulthood were almost three times higher than gay participants, and two times higher than lesbian participants. Findings have implications for advancing assessment of partner abuse in the LGBTQ community, LGBTQ-competent clinical care, and training of practitioners.
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Scheer JR, Harney P, Esposito J, Woulfe JM. Self-Reported Mental and Physical Health Symptoms and Potentially Traumatic Events Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Individuals: The Role of Shame. Psychol Violence 2020; 10:131-142. [PMID: 33062388 PMCID: PMC7556696 DOI: 10.1037/vio0000241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals disproportionately face exposure to potentially traumatic events-adverse experiences that may have a traumatizing effect-and experience shame as a common consequence. Previous research demonstrates associations between shame and psychological and physical health issues among those with exposure to potentially traumatic events in general, with limited attention among LGBTQ individuals specifically. This study determined whether shame partially mediated the relationship between potentially traumatic events exposure and self-reported mental and physical health symptoms among LGBTQ individuals. METHOD Participants were 218 self-identified LGBTQ individuals who reported experiencing at least one potentially traumatic event (e.g., childhood sexual abuse). Online surveys assessed the type and frequency of potentially traumatic events exposure, shame, self-reported mental health (depression symptoms, posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, and substance use), and physical health symptoms (sexual risk behavior, somatic symptoms, and chronic health conditions). RESULTS Greater potentially traumatic events exposure was associated with greater shame, and greater shame was associated with worse self-reported mental and physical health. Potentially traumatic events exposure had a direct effect on self-reported mental and physical health, and shame partially mediated this relationship. CONCLUSION Shame represents an important and modifiable factor that relates to poor health and may be amenable to change through psychosocial interventions. Given the prevalence of negative self-attribution stemming from potentially traumatic events exposure, in addition to the internalization of stigma among this population, practitioners need to uncover interventions specifically targeting shame when working with LGBTQ individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jessica Esposito
- Brooklyn Campus of the Veterans Affairs New York Harbor Healthcare System, Brooklyn, New York
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5
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Scheer JR, Woulfe JM, Goodman LA. Psychometric validation of the identity abuse scale among LGBTQ individuals. J Community Psychol 2019; 47:371-384. [PMID: 30207588 PMCID: PMC6543831 DOI: 10.1002/jcop.22126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Revised: 08/05/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Identity abuse (IA) comprises a set of abuse tactics that exploit discriminatory systems including homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia (Tesch & Berkerian, 2015). This study examined the factorial validity of the IA Scale (Woulfe & Goodman, 2018) with a large independent sample of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals. Participants included 1,049 LGBTQ-identified participants (Mage = 27.3, 71.9% White, 52.6% cisgender women, and 18.7% as other nonheterosexual identity in their sexual orientation), recruited through listservs. Participants completed an online survey measuring past-year and adult exposure to identity, physical, and psychological abuse. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the measurement model had good fit to the data, and strong factor loadings were found across the seven items, confirming a unidimensional factor structure. Findings demonstrate the IA Scale's validity and reliability, supporting its use to assess the frequency of IA tactics experienced within intimate partnerships among LGBTQ individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jillian R Scheer
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS at Yale University
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Doan Van EE, Mereish EH, Woulfe JM, Katz-Wise SL. Perceived Discrimination, Coping Mechanisms, and Effects on Health in Bisexual and Other Non-Monosexual Adults. Arch Sex Behav 2019; 48:159-174. [PMID: 30105618 PMCID: PMC6349472 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-018-1254-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Revised: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Bisexual individuals experience unique discrimination related to their sexual orientation, which may increase their risk of adverse health outcomes. The study goal was to investigate how bisexual and other non-monosexual individuals experience discrimination, understand how they perceive discrimination to affect their health, and examine the ways in which they cope with discrimination by analyzing responses to open-ended survey questions. The sample included 442 bisexual and other non-monosexual adults, ages 18-68 years (M = 28.97, SD = 10.30), who either reported a bisexual identity or reported attractions to more than one gender. Gender identities included women (n = 347), men (n = 42), and transgender/non-binary individuals (n = 53); 29% of participants were currently located outside of the U.S. Participants completed an online survey, including three open-ended questions regarding their experiences with discrimination, how discrimination affects their health, and methods used to cope with discrimination. Themes related to perceived discrimination included: double discrimination of bisexuals and other non-monosexual individuals by heterosexuals, lesbian and gay individuals; bisexual invalidation and erasure; and sexual victimization. Themes related to the perceived effects of discrimination on health included: impact on mental health; impact on physical health; and effect of discrimination in healthcare. Themes related to coping with discrimination included: social support; resilience; and identity-specific media consumption. Findings demonstrate that bisexual and other non-monosexual individuals' experiences of discrimination can be additive, based on other marginalized facets of identity, including race/ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. Our findings have implications for advancing bisexual health research from an intersectionality framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie E Doan Van
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ethan H Mereish
- Department of Health Studies, American University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Julie M Woulfe
- Division of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Sabra L Katz-Wise
- Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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7
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Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized pathologically by the abnormal accumulation of pathogenic protein species within the cell. Several neurodegenerative diseases feature intranuclear protein aggregation in the form of intranuclear inclusion bodies. Studies of these intranuclear inclusions are providing important clues regarding the cellular pathophysiology of these diseases, as exemplified by recent progress in defining the genetic basis of a subset of frontotemporal dementia cases. The precise role of intranuclear inclusion bodies in disease pathogenesis is currently a focus of debate. The present review provides an overview of the diverse family of neurodegenerative diseases in which nuclear inclusions form part of the neuropathological spectrum. In addition, current pathogenetic concepts relevant to these diseases will be reviewed and arguments for and against a protective role for intranuclear inclusions will be presented. The relationship of pathological intranuclear inclusions to functional intranuclear bodies will also be discussed. Finally, by analogy with pathological intranuclear inclusions, I will speculate on the possibility that intranuclear protein aggregation may represent a constitutive cellular protective mechanism occurring in neurons under physiological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Woulfe
- Department of Pathology, The Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa, and Cancer Research Program, The Ottawa Health Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada.
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8
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Abstract
In a previous study, we demonstrated immunoreactivity of a subset of neuronal intranuclear rodlets (INRs) in the human substantia nigra for promyelocytic leukaemia (PML) protein, the signature protein of PML bodies. In the present study, we extend these observations and describe the ultrastructural features, immunohistochemical staining characteristics, and topographical pattern of distribution of PML-immunoreactive intranuclear rodlets (PML-INRs). Consistent with a purported role for PML bodies in nuclear proteolysis and/or transcriptional regulation, PML-INRs are immunoreactive for components of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, the transcriptional regulator CREB-binding protein, acetylated histone H4, and the eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF4E. Immunoelectron microscopy reveals that they all possess a filamentous core and, in some, this is surrounded by a granular shell. We further demonstrate that a proportion of INRs in extranigral sites also show partial immunoreactivity for PML. These observations indicate an intimate association between two neuronal nuclear bodies, PML bodies and INRs. Because both of these structures have been implicated in neurodegenerative disease, PML-INRs may provide a tool with which to study changes in nuclear substructure in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Woulfe
- Cancer Research Program, The Ottawa Health Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
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9
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Woulfe JM, Duke R, Middeldorp JM, Stevens S, Vervoort M, Hashimoto M, Masliah E, Chan P, Di Monte DA, Langston JW, Petzinger G, Hoogendoorn H, Munoz DG. Absence of elevated anti-alpha-synuclein and anti-EBV latent membrane protein antibodies in PD. Neurology 2002; 58:1435-6. [PMID: 12011302 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.58.9.1435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- J M Woulfe
- Department of Pathology, The University of Ottawa, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
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10
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Woulfe JM, Munoz DG. Status epilepticus with neuron-reactive serum antibodies: response to plasma exchange. Neurology 2000; 55:1421. [PMID: 11087806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
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11
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Abstract
A 29-year-old man presented in 1984 with a recent onset of partial seizures marked by speech arrest. Electroencephalography identified a left frontotemporal dysrhythmia. Computerized tomography (CT) scanning revealed a superficial hypodense nonenhancing lesion in the midleft frontal convexity, with some remodeling of the overlying skull. The patient was transferred to the London Health Sciences Centre for subtotal resection of what was diagnosed as a "fibrillary astrocytoma (microcystic)." He received no chemotherapy or radiation therapy and remained well for 11 years. The patient presented again in late 1995 with progressive seizure activity. Both CT and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a recurrent enhancing partly cystic lesion. A Grade IV astrocytoma was resected, and within the malignant tumor was a superficial area reminiscent of a dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor (DNT). Data on the lesion that had been resected in 1984 were reviewed, and in retrospect the lesion was identified as a DNT of the complex form. It was bordered by cortical dysplasia and contained glial nodules, in addition to the specific glioneuronal element. The glial nodules were significant for moderate pleomorphism and rare mitotic figures. The Ki67 labeling index averaged 0.3% in the glial nodules and up to 4% focally. Cells were rarely Ki67 positive within the glioneuronal component. This case is the first documented example of malignant transformation of a DNT. It serves as a warning of the potential for malignant transformation in this entity, which has been traditionally accepted as benign. This warning may be especially warranted when confronted with complex forms of DNT. The completeness of resection in the benign state is of paramount importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- R R Hammond
- Department of Pathology, London Health Sciences Centre and University of Western Ontario, Canada
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12
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Woulfe JM, Flumerfelt BA, Hrycyshyn AW. Efferent connections of the A1 noradrenergic cell group: a DBH immunohistochemical and PHA-L anterograde tracing study. Exp Neurol 1990; 109:308-22. [PMID: 1976532 DOI: 10.1016/s0014-4886(05)80022-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Immunohistochemical localization of the catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH), and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT) was employed to reveal the anatomical organization of the A1 noradrenergic cell group in the caudal ventrolateral medulla oblongata of the rat. Subsequently, the supraspinal efferent axonal projections of A1 were investigated with a view to elucidating the anatomical substrates underlying its postulated function in central fluid and cardiovascular homeostasis. Within the caudal medulla, DBH-positive/PNMT-negative (noradrenergic) neurons were observed extending bilaterally through the ventrolateral medullary reticular formation from upper cervical spinal cord levels to the level of the area postrema. At the rostral pole of A1, its neurons intermingled with PNMT-immunoreactive perikarya of the more rostrally situated C1 adrenergic cell group. Discrete injections of the anterogradely transported plant lectin Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA-L) into A1 resulted in terminal labeling in a number of presumptive efferent target sites including the nucleus of the solitary tract, rostral ventrolateral medulla, dorsal parabrachial nucleus, Kolliker-Fuse nucleus, central grey, dorsomedial nucleus of the hypothalamus, perifornical region, zona incerta, lateral hypothalamus, paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, supraoptic nucleus, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis. Tissue sections adjacent to those reacted for PHA-L were processed immunohistochemically for DBH to determine if anterogradely labeled terminals were localized in regions that demonstrated appropriate immunoreactivity. The majority of regions in which PHA-L terminal labeling was present also exhibited moderate to intense DBH activity. These experiments provide neuroanatomical evidence for direct efferent pathways from the A1 noradrenergic cell group to a number of supraspinal sites that have been reliably implicated in the neural circuitry underlying the central regulation of fluid and cardiovascular homeostasis. Furthermore, the results suggest a selective anatomical interrelation between A1 and sites in the basal forebrain and hypothalamus in which vasopressinergic neurons have been previously demonstrated. It is postulated that the noradrenergic A1 projections observed in this investigation represent the morphological substrate through which A1 exerts a significant influence on cardiovascular regulatory mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Woulfe
- Department of Anatomy, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
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Woulfe JM, Hrycyshyn AW, Flumerfelt BA. Collateral axonal projections from the A1 noradrenergic cell group to the paraventricular nucleus and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in the rat. Exp Neurol 1988; 102:121-4. [PMID: 2846338 DOI: 10.1016/0014-4886(88)90084-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The A1 noradrenergic cell group in the caudal ventrolateral medullary reticular formation of the rat sends efferent projections to a number of regions in the basal forebrain and hypothalamus, but the extent to which these projections represent collateral branches of individual axons is not known. Immunohistochemical labeling of medullary neurons containing the catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes tyrosine hydroxylase, dopamine beta-hydroxylase, and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase was used to reveal the anatomical location of A1 noradrenergic neurons within the ventrolateral medulla. Subsequently, the retrograde fluorescence double-labeling technique was employed to investigate the collateralization of ascending A1 efferent axons. The subcommissural bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) was injected with rhodamine-fluorescent latex microspheres and the ipsilateral left paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) was injected with Fast blue. Within the ventrolateral medulla, single- and double-labeled neurons were identified in a distribution corresponding to that demonstrated for A1 noradrenergic perikarya. The results indicate that some ascending axons from cells within the A1 region collateralize to effect a simultaneous innervation of the BST and PVN. The innervation of multiple efferent targets by single neurons within the A1 region may have important implications with respect to A1's postulated role in central cardiovascular regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Woulfe
- Department of Anatomy, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
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