The rat inferior olive as seen with immunostaining for glutamate decarboxylase.

Boutons presumed to use gamma-aminobutyric acid as neurotransmitter (GABAergic boutons) were detected by glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) immunocytochemistry in all regions of the rat inferior olive. The remarkably high concentration of these boutons allowed a clear visualization of olivary subnuclei boundaries. Regional variations in GAD immunostaining intensity were observed within the nuclear complex and were graded both visually and photometrically. The regional staining variations, for the most part, followed subnuclei boundaries and olivary zonal compartments that have been delineated by the topography of climbing fibre projections. Some subnuclei were grouped by similar staining intensities. The beta nucleus and a medial region in the ventral fold of the dorsal accessory olive were most intensely immunostained, followed by the subnucleus c of the medial accessory olive. Lower staining intensities were observed in the dorsomedial cell column, the dorsal fold of the dorsal accessory olive and the dorsal cap. The lowest intensities were observed in the subnuclei a and b of the medial accessory olive, the ventrolateral outgrowth, the rostral lamella of the medial accessory olive, the principal olive, and the lateral part of the ventral fold of the dorsal accessory olive. The factors contributing to the variations in immunostaining intensity (bouton size and frequency of occurrence) were investigated. The largest boutons were observed in the beta nucleus. Intermediate sized boutons were observed in the dorsomedial cell column, dorsal cap and the dorsal fold of the dorsal accessory olive. The smallest boutons were present in the remaining regions of the inferior olive, including the principal olive, the rostral lamella of the medial accessory olive, and the ventral fold of the dorsal accessory olive. The medial region of the dorsal accessory olive ventral fold contained a higher density of GABAergic boutons than other regions. GABAergic bouton size and innervation density therefore largely accounted for the variations in GAD immunostaining intensity. This study provides a map of the rat inferior olive based on the distribution of GABAergic nerve terminals, and may serve as a basis for characterizing different GABAergic afferent systems in the inferior olive.