title: Immunohistochemical localization of adenosine deaminase in primary afferent neurons of the rat.
abstract: Adenosine deaminase (ADA) was detected immunohistochemically in neuronal cell bodies of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of the rat. ADA-immunoreactivity was confined exclusively to small type B ganglion neurons in cervical, thoracic and lumbar sensory ganglia; large type A neurons in sensory ganglia were devoid of immunostaining for ADA. It was consistently found that only a small proportion of type B neurons in DRG contain immunohistochemically detectable ADA. It is suggested that the expression of high ADA levels is a distinguishing feature of a subpopulation of type B DRG neurons and, further, that ADA in these neurons may reflect their utilization of purines (adenosine or adenine nucleotides) as transmitters or cotransmitters.
mesh_terms: D000241:Adenosine / Q000502:physiology; D000243:Adenosine Deaminase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000502:physiology; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D009700:Nucleoside Deaminases / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D009435:Synaptic Transmission
chemical_list: D009700:Nucleoside Deaminases; D000243:Adenosine Deaminase; D000241:Adenosine