Evidence for the presence of neurokinin-1 receptors on dorsal horn spinocerebellar tract cells in the rat.
Dorsal horn spinocerebellar tract cells of adult rats were labelled by retrograde axonal transport with the B subunit of cholera toxin. Sections were prepared from lumbar and thoracic spinal segments and incubated with antisera which specifically recognise neurokinin-1 receptor protein and substance P. Labelled cells and immunoreactivity for the receptor and substance P were identified by using three different fluorophores and the relationships between them were assessed in single optical sections with three-colour confocal laser scanning microscopy. Forty-eight cells were examined and 23 of them displayed immunoreactivity for the receptor. Many substance P-immunoreactive profiles were present in lamina V and some formed contacts with spinocerebellar tract cells possessing neurokinin-1 receptor immunoreactivity. The evidence suggests that substance P may influence the activity of a subpopulation of dorsal horn spinocerebellar tract cells by acting through neurokinin-1 receptors.
McGonigle
D J
DJ
Laboratory of Human Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, UK.
Maxwell
D J
DJ
Shehab
S A
SA
Kerr
R
R
D000818:Animals; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018040:Receptors, Neurokinin-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure
D018040:Receptors, Neurokinin-1