Localization of substance P- and enkephalin-like immunoreactivity in relation to catecholamine-containing cell bodies in the cat dorsolateral pontine tegmentum: an immunofluorescence study.
The distribution of tyrosine hydroxylase-, substance P- and enkephalin-immunoreactive neurons in the cat dorsolateral pons was studied using the indirect immunofluorescence method of Coons. To allow for the visualization of substance P- and enkephalin-immunoreactive cell bodies, colchicine was injected either in the ventricular space or in the cerebral tissue. The distribution of the tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive cell bodies corresponded with the well-known distribution of catecholamine cells in this area of the brain. The observation of adjacent sections treated separately with tyrosine hydroxylase- and enkephalin-antiserum revealed that most catecholaminergic cells contain enkephalin-immunoreactivity. In addition to this catecholamine-enkephalin cell population, a moderate number of substance P-immunoreactive cell bodies was found in dorsolateral pons. The peribrachial nuclei were found to be densely supplied with substance P- and enkephalin-immunoreactive fibers, whereas the medial subdivisions, which contain the majority of the catecholamine cells in the dorsolateral pons, display a moderate number of immunoreactive fibers. These results are suggestive of interactions between peptide-containing and catecholaminergic neurons and also between-peptide-containing and non-catecholamine-containing neurons in the cat dorsolateral pons.
D000818:Animals; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000502:physiology*; D002415:Cats / Q000502:physiology*; D003078:Colchicine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000276:immunology*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D009474:Neurons / Q000276:immunology*; D011149:Pons / Q000276:immunology*; D013373:Substance P / Q000276:immunology*; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000276:immunology
D002395:Catecholamines; D004745:Enkephalins; D013373:Substance P; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D003078:Colchicine