Glial coverage of the small cell somata in the rat nucleus of tractus solitarius during postnatal development.

Astrocytes are thought to be active participants in synaptic plasticity in the developing nervous system. Previous studies suggested that axosomatic synapses decreased in number on the small cells of the rat caudal nucleus of tractus solitarius (cNTS) toward the end of the first postnatal week. Astrocytes might be involved in this phenomenon. We examined the morphological development of astrocytic processes around the small cell soma in the rat cNTS using light and electron microscopy. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), glutamate-aspartate transporter (GLAST), and glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1)-positive structures within the cNTS became more intensely stained as development proceeded. GLAST-positive structures encompassed calbindin-positive small cell somata after postnatal day 10. Electron microscopic observations indicated that astrocytic processes encompass the small cell soma, while the number of axosomatic synapses decreases as development proceeds. The timing for glial coverage of the small cell soma appears to be consistent with the decrease in axosomatic synapses on the small cells. These observations imply that astrocytes may participate actively in regulating the decrease of axosomatic synapses on small cells in the cNTS during postnatal development. (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.