Glutamate in spinally projecting neurons of the rostral ventral medulla.
Phosphate activated glutaminase (PAG), an enzyme of glutamate synthesis, was localized by immunohistochemistry in all PNMT-immunoreactive and all serotonin-immunoreactive neurons in the rostral ventral medulla of the rat. Between 71 and 83% of bulbospinal neurons localised in the rostral ventral medulla projecting to the intermediolateral cell column in the upper thoracic spinal cord contained PAG immunoreactivity. Of these bulbospinal PAG-immunoreactive neurons 17-27% contained PNMT immunoreactivity and 9-16% contained serotonin immunoreactivity. Other bulbospinal PAG-immunoreactive neurons (60-70%) contained neither PNMT- nor serotonin immunoreactivity. The results provide anatomical evidence suggestive of a glutamatergic input to the sympathetic preganglionic neurons of the spinal cord arising from different populations of neurons located in the rostral ventral medulla.
Minson
J
J
Department of Medicine and Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide.
Pilowsky
P
P
Llewellyn-Smith
I
I
Kaneko
T
T
Kapoor
V
V
Chalmers
J
J
D000818:Animals; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D005971:Glutamates / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005972:Glutaminase / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007395:Interneurons / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D010625:Phenylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
D005971:Glutamates; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D010625:Phenylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase; D005972:Glutaminase