Simultaneous monoamine histofluorescence and neuropeptide immunocytochemistry. IV. Verification of catecholamine-neurophysin interactions through single-section analysis.
A method was developed that allows the analysis of neuropeptides and monoamines in a single tissue section by the application of the unlabeled antibody method for peptide staining to tissue sections freeze-dried for formaldehyde-induced monoamine histofluorescence. The hypothalamic magnocellular system of male albino rats served as a model for this study; neurons were stained with anti-neurophysin sera, which mark the vasopressin- and oxytocin-associated proteins. Neurophysin-containing perikarya appeared to be surrounded by catecholamine-containing varicosities. This phenomenon was seen to varying degrees within the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei. The juxtaposition of varicosities and peptidergic neurons suggests an afferent fiber-target neuron relationship that might favor a functional interaction between monoamines and neuropeptides.
D000818:Animals; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000032:analysis*; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000032:analysis*; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000032:analysis; D009474:Neurons / Q000032:analysis; D009481:Neurophysins / Q000032:analysis*; D010286:Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D013495:Supraoptic Nucleus / Q000032:analysis
D002395:Catecholamines; D009481:Neurophysins