Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)-containing neurons in the spinal cord of the rat and their projections.
The distribution of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)-like immunoreactive structures in the rat spinal cord and their projections were investigated by means of an immunofluorescent method. In the normal rat, a small number of VIP-positive fibers were observed in the superficial layer of the dorsal horn and in the lateral funiculus. With colchicine pretreatment, VIP-positive neurons were demonstrated in the lateral spinal nucleus (lsn) and in the lamina X (Rexed). Transections of the spinal cord at various levels revealed that some of the VIP neurons in the lsn might project to supraspinal areas via lateral funiculus.
D000818:Animals; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005768:Gastrointestinal Hormones / Q000032:analysis*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000032:analysis*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats / Q000502:physiology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000032:analysis* / Q000166:cytology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000032:analysis*
D005768:Gastrointestinal Hormones; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide