title: Immunocytochemical identification of long ascending, peptidergic lumbar spinal neurons terminating in either the medial or lateral thalamus in the rat.
abstract: The peptidergic content of rat spinothalamic tract neurons was investigated by combining the retrograde transport of the fluorescent dye Fluoro-gold with immunocytochemistry for enkephalin, dynorphin or vasoactive intestinal polypeptide. Evidence is presented for the existence of enkephalin and dynorphin in a subpopulation of spinothalamic neurons terminating in the medial thalamus and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide in a subpopulation terminating primarily in the lateral thalamus.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004399:Dynorphins / Q000032:analysis; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000032:analysis; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D013788:Thalamus / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D004745:Enkephalins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D004399:Dynorphins