A combined vascular-catecholamine fluorescence method reveals the relative vascularity of rat locus coeruleus and the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei of the hypothalamus.
Vascular perfusion with a fluorescent dye, Pontamine sky blue, was combined with glyoxylic acid-induced catecholamine fluorescence to produce simultaneous staining of intracerebral blood vessels and catecholamine-containing cells and fibers. Quantitative measurements of blood vessels per unit area revealed that the vascular density of rat locus coeruleus did not differ from the surrounding neuropil but was significantly lower than that of the hypothalamic supraoptic and paraventricular (PVN) nuclei. Moreover, the density of blood vessels in the magnocellular portion of PVN was not uniform throughout its rostrocaudal extent but was dense only in a specific subdivision of lateral PVN, which is predominantly vasopressinergic and is also heavily innervated by catecholamine terminals.
D000818:Animals; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D008125:Locus Coeruleus / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D010286:Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000098:blood supply*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013495:Supraoptic Nucleus / Q000098:blood supply*; D014667:Vasopressins / Q000378:metabolism
D002395:Catecholamines; D014667:Vasopressins