title: Distribution of five peptides, three general neuroendocrine markers, and two synaptic-vesicle-associated proteins in the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia of the adult and newborn dog: an immunocytochemical study.
abstract: This study describes the immunocytochemical distribution of five neuropeptides (calcitonin gene-related peptide [CGRP], enkephalin, galanin, somatostatin, and substance P), three neuronal markers (neurofilament triplet proteins, neuron-specific enolase [NSE], and protein gene product 9.5), and two synaptic-vesicle-associated proteins (synapsin I and synaptophysin) in the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia of adult and newborn dogs. CGRP and substance P were the only peptides detectable at birth in the spinal cord; they were present within a small number of immunoreactive fibers concentrated in laminae I-II. CGRP immunoreactivity was also observed in motoneurons and in dorsal root ganglion cells. In adult animals, all peptides under study were localized to varicose fibers forming rich plexuses within laminae I-III and, to a lesser extent, lamina X and the intermediolateral cell columns. Some dorsal root ganglion neurons were CGRP- and/or substance P-immunoreactive. The other antigens were present in the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia of both adult and newborn animals, with the exception of NSE, which, at birth, was not detectable in spinal cord neurons. Moreover, synapsin I/synaptophysin immunoreactivity, at birth, was restricted to laminae I-II, while in adult dogs, immunostaining was observed in terminal-like elements throughout the spinal neuropil. These results suggest that in the dog spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia, peptide-containing pathways complete their development during postnatal life, together with the full expression of NSE and synapsin I/synaptophysin immunoreactivities. In adulthood, peptide distribution is similar to that described in other mammals, although a relative absence of immunoreactive cell bodies was observed in the spinal cord.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Morfofisiologia Veterinaria, Univezsità degli Studi di Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bonfanti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bellardi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghidella
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gobetto
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Polak
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Merighi
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D015415:Biomarkers; D004285:Dogs / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000378:metabolism; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013572:Synaptic Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides