Mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons expressing neuromedin K receptor (NK3): a double immunocytochemical study in the rat.
By using a double immunocytochemical method we examined the distribution of dopaminergic neurons expressing neuromedin K receptor (NKR; NK3) in the rat brain. The distribution of NKR-like immunoreactive (-LI) neurons completely overlapped that of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-LI neurons in the retrorubral field (A8), substantia nigra (A9), ventral tegmental area and nucleus raphe linealis (A10). Completely or partially overlapping distributions of NKR- and TH-LI neurons were found in certain regions of the hypothalamus (A11-A15) and olfactory bulb (A16). Neurons showing both NKR- and TH-like immunoreactivities, however, were only found in A8-A10: All of the NKR-LI neurons displayed TH-like immunoreactivity, and about 71-86% of the TH-LI neurons expressed NKR-like immunoreactivity. The present results provided morphological evidence for physiological modulation of dopaminergic neurons by tachykinins through NKR in A8-A10.
Chen
L W
LW
Department of Anatomy and K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
Guan
Z L
ZL
Ding
Y Q
YQ
D000818:Animals; D004298:Dopamine / Q000032:analysis*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018042:Receptors, Neurokinin-3 / Q000032:analysis*
D018042:Receptors, Neurokinin-3; D004298:Dopamine