The use of dopamine  -hydroxylase as a marker for the central noradrenergic nervous system in rat brain.
Improvements in the method for localization of dopamine-beta-hydroxylase by immunofluorescence allow the observation of noradrenergic-cell bodies, non-terminal fibers, and axon terminals in the rat brain. The distribution of the hydroxylase correlated well with the results obtained by localization of norepinephrine. Dopamine-beta-hydroxylase was not observed in dopaminergic neurons or terminals, indicating that these cells do not have the capacity to synthesize norepinephrine. The use of the hydroxylase as a marker, however, has made it possible to visualize noradrenergic nerve terminals on small arteries in the brain parenchyma that have not been described by catecholamine-fluorescence histochemistry. The source of the terminals on small arteries appears to be central noradrenergic neurons rather than the peripheral sympathetic nervous system. Dopamine-beta-hydroxylase generally was not observed in the large arteries of the brain parenchyma. These observations suggest that cerebral microcirculation is regulated by central noradrenergic neurons.
D000818:Animals; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000294:innervation; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000201:enzymology / Q000294:innervation; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase / Q000032:analysis; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006041:Goats / Q000276:immunology; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D008297:Male; D008722:Methods; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases / Q000032:analysis*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000032:analysis; D011817:Rabbits / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic; D013861:Thiocyanates
D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic; D013861:Thiocyanates; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase; D009638:Norepinephrine