Synaptic innervation of enkephalinergic neurons by axon terminals immunoreactive to dopamine-beta-hydroxylase in the rat area postrema.
A preembedding double immunostaining technique was used to study synaptic relations between enkephalin-like immunoreactive and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase-like immunoreactive neurons in the rat area postrema. Enkephalin-like immunoreactive neuronal perikarya and dendrites were found to receive synapses from dopamine-beta-hydroxylase-like immunoreactive axon terminals. Synapses were also found between the same dopamine-beta-hydroxylase-like immunoreactive neurons. Compared with our previous study, the present results provide morphological evidence that dopaminergic and noradrenergic neurons have different synaptic relations with enkephalinergic neurons, suggesting that physiological functions, especially those related to enkephalinergic neurons, may be different from each other in the area postrema.
Guan
J L
JL
Department of Anatomy, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Wang
Q P
QP
Nakai
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase / Q000502:physiology*; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000502:physiology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*
D004745:Enkephalins; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase