Galanin is contained in GABAergic neurons in the rat spinal dorsal horn.
In order to determine which types of neuron in laminae I-III of the rat spinal dorsal horn contain the peptide galanin, pre-embedding immunocytochemistry with antiserum to galanin was combined with post-embedding detection of GABA- and glycine-like immunoreactivities. Sixty-eight galanin immunoreactive neurons in laminae I-III selected from four rats were examined, and in each case semi-thin sections through the cell body were tested with a monoclonal antibody to GABA and an antiserum to glycine. All of the 68 galanin-immunoreactive neurons tested were GABA-immunoreactive, while only one of them (in lamina III) was glycine-immunoreactive. This suggests that galanin is contained in inhibitory interneurons, and that (like enkephalin, neuropeptide Y and thyrotropin-releasing hormone) it is mainly restricted to GABAergic neurons which do not use glycine as a co-transmitter.
Simmons
D R
DR
Laboratory of Human Anatomy, University of Glasgow, UK.
Spike
R C
RC
Todd
A J
AJ
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D019004:Galanin; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007395:Interneurons / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
D009479:Neuropeptides; D010455:Peptides; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D019004:Galanin