The presence of corticotropin-releasing factor-like immunoreactive synaptic vesicles in axon terminals with nicotinic acetylcholine receptor-like immunoreactivity in the median eminence of the rat.
Whether or not corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) containing synaptic vesicles are located in axon terminals with nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) in the median eminence (ME) of the rat was examined by electron microscopic double-labeling immunocytochemistry combining the pre-embedding avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex (ABC) method for nAChR with the post-embedding immunogold staining method for CRF. nAChR-like immunoreactivity (nAChR-LI) was found in the cell membranes of the axon terminals in the ME. CRF-like immunoreactivity (CRF-LI) was found in dense granular vesicles (about 100 nm in diameter) in the axon terminals. Double-labeling method revealed that some of nAChR-LI axon terminals were found to contain CRF-LI dense granular vesicles. The results indicate that nicotine may act on nAChR in axon terminals to release CRF.
Okuda
H
H
Department of Pharmacology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan.
Shioda
S
S
Nakai
Y
Y
Nakayama
H
H
Okamoto
M
M
Nakashima
T
T
D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008473:Median Eminence / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000378:metabolism*; D013572:Synaptic Vesicles / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D009538:Nicotine; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone