title: PCPA reduces both monoaminergic afferents and nonmonoaminergic synapses in the cerebral cortex.
abstract: In order to examine the possible trophic, nontransmitter role of monoaminergic fibers in the adult CNS, synaptic structures were examined in different laminae of the somatosensory cortex of the rat following a p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA)-induced decrease of monoamine. Synaptic densities were reduced in a dose-dependent fashion by 30-50% in the target area of monoamine fibers following four injections of PCPA made over a 1-week period. Although serotonin- and tyrosine hydroxylase-immunopositive profiles were frequently observed in all laminae of the cerebral cortex, only a few such profiles had the morphology of synapses. Therefore, virtually all of the reduction in synaptic structures following PCPA treatment involved nonmonoaminergic fibers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hamaguchi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamada
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Okada
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015306:Biogenic Monoamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010134:Fenclonine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015306:Biogenic Monoamines; D010134:Fenclonine