title: Enkephalinergic synaptic axon terminals on serotoninergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus of the rat: an electron microscopic study by the double immunostaining method.
abstract: Met-enkephalinergic synaptic axon terminals on serotoninergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus of the rat were observed with double immunostaining at the electron microscopic level. Met-enkephalin-like immunoreactive axon terminals were found to make asymmetrical or symmetrical synaptic contacts with serotonin-like immunoreactive nerve cell bodies and dendrites. The findings suggest that opioid-containing neurons modulate serotoninergic neurons through synapses in the dorsal raphe nucleus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Shanghai Medical University, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Q P
authors.initials: QP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakai
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shioda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000737:chemistry; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron; D009411:Nerve Endings / Q000737:chemistry; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology; D011903:Raphe Nuclei / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012701:Serotonin / Q000032:analysis; D013569:Synapses / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D012701:Serotonin; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine