Enkephalin fibers synapse on cholinergic neurons in the rat sacral intermediolateral nucleus: a double-immunostaining at the light and electron microscopic levels.
Relationships between leucine-enkephalin fibers and cholinergic neurons in the rat sacral intermediolateral nucleus were examined by light and electron microscopy using double-immunostaining method. Cholinergic neurons in the sacral intermediolateral nucleus were labeled by a rat-mouse monoclonal antibody to choline acetyltransferase and stained bluish green with 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-beta-D- galactoside reaction products using beta-galactosidase as a marker. On the same sections, leucine-enkephalin fibers were labeled by a rabbit polyclonal antiserum to leucine-enkephalin and stained brown by diaminobenzidine reaction products using peroxidase as a marker. After embedding in Epon, the sections were examined in light and electron microscopes. In the light microscope, choline acetyltransferase-like immunoreactive cells were seen in the sacral intermediolateral nucleus. In the same region, leucine-enkephalin-like immunoreactive cells. In the electron microscope, 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-beta-D-galactoside reaction products were in the form of coarse electron dense deposits in the choline acetyltransferase-like immunoreactive structures and could be distinguished from the much finer grained diaminobenzidine reaction products. Choline acetyltransferase-like immunoreactive neurons received synaptic inputs from leucine-enkephalin fibers-like immunoreactive terminals. These findings suggest that leucine-enkephalin fibers may affect the activity of cholinergic parasympathetic preganglionic neurons.
Kohno
J
J
Department of Neuroanatomy, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
Shinoda
K
K
Kawai
Y
Y
Peng
Y
Y
Ono
K
K
Shiotani
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D002799:Cholinergic Fibers / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D004743:Enkephalin, Leucine / Q000378:metabolism; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000502:physiology*; D007158:Immunologic Techniques; D008161:Lumbosacral Region; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology*; D010275:Parasympathetic Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000502:physiology*; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology*
D004745:Enkephalins; D004743:Enkephalin, Leucine; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase