Figure 3.
Randomly selected neurons and EC-projecting neurons, but not BLA-projecting neurons, show retraction with stress. Representative randomly selected neuron apical dendrite Neurolucida tracings from control (a) and stressed (b) animals. In rats exposed to stress, apical dendrites in randomly selected IL layer II/III pyramidal neurons show reduced number of branch points (c) and overall dendritic length (d) when compared with control rats. Sholl analysis suggests that these changes are accounted for by retraction in intermediate dendrites, approximately 120–180 μm from the soma (e). Apical dendrites in amygdala-projecting IL layer II/III pyramidal neurons show no change in branch points (f) or in overall dendritic length (g) when compared with control rats. Moreover, there were no group differences at any distance from the soma (h). Apical dendrites in EC-projecting layer II/III neurons showed significantly reduced number of branch points (i) and overall dendritic length (j), but no significant changes at individual distances from the soma (k). *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01.