Immunohistochemical evidence for epinephrine-containing retinal amacrine cells.
The enzyme for the synthesis of epinephrine, phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase, has been localized, by an indirect immunofluorescent staining method, to a subpopulation of amacrine cells in the rat retina. The immunoreactive cells are located primarily in the inner nuclear layer and send a single process to the inner plexiform layer. Most of the immunoreactivity is found in the center of the inner plexiform layer. A small percentage of immunoreactive cell bodies were found in the inner plexiform layer and occasionally cells were observed in the ganglion cell layer. These epinephrine-containing amacrine cells are morphologically distinct from the dopamine-containing amacrine cells previously described by formaldehyde fluorescence and we speculate from reports in the literature that epinephrine-containing amacrine cells may play a role in modulating the activity of dopamine-containing amacrine cells.
D000818:Animals; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D010625:Phenylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism
D010625:Phenylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase; D004837:Epinephrine