Article: High serotonin levels during brain development alter the structural input-output connectivity of neural networks in the rat somatosensory layer IV.
Morphological properties of Layer IV excitatory neurons.
Spiny stellate cells
Pyramidal cells
SERT+/+
SERT-/-
SERT+/+
SERT-/-
SOMATODENDRITIC
n = 10
n = 13
n = 12
n = 15
Soma size (μm)
178.6 ± 18.3
151.1 ± 10.9
193.6 ± 12.9
197.5 ± 17.1
Primary dendrites (n)
3.6 ± 0.2
5.2 ± 0.4**
4.0 ± 0.2
5.1 ± 0.4*
Length (μm)
2427.8 ± 162
2459.2 ± 169
1802.9 ± 135
2439.8 ± 230
Nodes (n)
23.0 ± 1.4
21.9 ± 1.1
13.6 ± 1.1
15.8 ± 1.5
Nodes (n/mm)
9.6 ± 0.4
9.1 ± 0.3
7.6 ± 0.4
6.5 ± 0.3*
Endings (n)
26.7 ± 1.4
27.0 ± 1.1
17.5 ± 1.2
20.9 ± 1.7
Complexity
6.9 ± 0.8
4.6 ± 0.5*
3.5 ± 0.3
3.3 ± 0.4
Covered surface (μm2)
86225 ± 6772
70814 ± 9898
62834 ± 6626
88721 ± 8623
APICAL DENDRITE
Length (μm)
1988 ± 220
1874 ± 180
Nodes (n)
–
–
12.6 ± 1.7
14.7 ± 2
Nodes (n/mm)
–
–
6.4 ± 0.4
7.7 ± 1.4
Endings (n)
–
–
13.8 ± 1.8
15.8 ± 2
Covered surface (mm2)
–
–
0.167 ± 0.029
0.142 ± 0.017
AXONAL
n = 7
n = 5
n = 6
n = 9
Axonal length (μm)
17201 ± 1872
18820 ± 1739
21253 ± 2046
18720 ± 1741
Axonal nodes (n)
79.4 ± 5.7
107 ± 4.6**
124.2 ± 17.7
100.7 ± 8.5
Axonal endings (n)
79.7 ± 5.7
108 ± 4.3**
123.8 ± 17.3
102.1 ± 8.6
Boutons (n)
3889± 447
3968 ± 335
4447± 465
4059 ± 443
Bouton density (/100μm)
21.5 ± 1.2
21.4 ± 1.3
20.9 ± 1.9
20.9 ± 0.8
Covered surface (mm2)
1.0 ± 0.4
1.6 ± 0.3
2.2 ± 1.0
2.2 ± 0.7
The covered surface of a structure was calculated by a 2-dimensional convex hull estimation of the structure perimeter. Dendritic complexity is calculated by the total number of nodes/endings. Data are means ± SEM.
