The Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis: Cytoarchitecture and Morphometry of its Subnuclear Organizationin the rat Brain

Abstract

The complexity of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), its function, sex difference, cytoand chemoarchitectonic structure has intrigued scientists during the last decades. As part of the extended amygdala, it is involved in many limbic functions being the main target of treating anxiety and addiction as lately revealed. This paper is a brief review of the BNST structure and also a morphometric study of its subnuclear groups in the adult male rat brain. The Kluver-Barrera staining revealed the main white matter tracts which serve us for landmarks to identify the BNST subdivisions. The majority of BNST neurons were small in size, less than 15µm in diameter, oval in shape and with prominent nucleoli. The present results clearly show the complexity in the BNST structural organization to better understand its function, and to emphasize it as a novel research area of the functional morphology.