The segmental detailed topographical distribution of monoaminergic terminals and their pathways in the spinal cord of the cat.
Segmental topographical distribution of monoaminergic terminals and their pathways of the cat spinal cord was established by the newly developed glyoxylic acid paraformaldehyde gas fluorescence histochemical method. Generally, the descending noradrenergic fibers exist in the intermediate part of the anterolateral funiculi and serotonergic fibers exist mainly in the peripheral part of the lateral funiculus. Some of these descending fibers also cross at the thoracic level. Many fine and thick monoaminergic varicosities are observed in the ventral horn, therefore kappa-motoneurons seem to be contacted with these monoaminergic terminals. In the lateral horn of the thoracic cord, strong diffusely accumulating fluorescence is observed characteristically and serotonergic terminals exist in the dorsal site and noradrenergic terminals exist in the ventral site. Strong noradrenergic fluorescent fiber bundles communicating with both sides of the sympathetic lateral horns are also observed. Fairly thick noradrenergic fiber bundles are segmentally observed in the neighbouring area of the median zone of the dorsal horn and many thick noradrenergic terminals can be seen in the lamina V of the sacral cord.
D000320:Adrenergic Fibers / Q000166:cytology*; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009411:Nerve Endings / Q000166:cytology*; D009434:Neural Pathways; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology*; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000166:cytology*
D012701:Serotonin; D009638:Norepinephrine