title: Intrinsic 5HT-immunoreactive neurons in the spinal cord of the fetal non-human primate.
abstract: Serotonin (5HT) immunoreactive neurons were identified in the late-term fetal spinal cord of normal non-human primates. These neurons were distributed throughout the spinal cord, being concentrated in lamina X and the subjacent ventral median fissure, while their immunoreactive fibers and terminals innervated the zone surrounding the central canal and the ventral spinal artery. Even at this late fetal stage, the dorsal and ventral spinal gray matter was virtually devoid of any positive 5HT immunoreactivity, in contrast to that seen in the adult primate. These findings suggest that the intrinsic 5HT neurons of the primate during development may modulate CSF composition or provide cues for spinal cord differentiation rather than regulate sensorimotor functions as they do in the adult.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000378:metabolism; D010215:Papio; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012701:Serotonin