title: Do all of human midbrain tyrosine hydroxylase neurons synthesize dopamine?
abstract: We examined whether all of human midbrain tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) neurons substantially synthesize dopamine (DA) using dual labeling immunohistochemical technique of TH and aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC). In the substantia nigra, besides many neurons doubly stained for TH and AADC, neurons stained only for TH and only for AADC (D-neurons [C.B. Jaeger, D.A. Ruggiero, V.R. Albert, T.H. Joh, D.J. Reis, Immunocytochemical localization of aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase, in: A. Björklund, T. Hökfelt (Eds.), Handbook of Chemical Neuroanatomy, Classical Transmitters in the CNS, Vol. 2, Part 1, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1984, pp. 387-408.]) were identified. In the ventral tegmental area, dually labeled neurons and TH-only-positive neurons were found. It is indicated that the number of midbrain TH neurons does not reflect the exact number of DA neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Fujita Heath University, School of Medicine, Toyoake, Aichi, 470-1192, Japan. kikemoto@fujita-hu.ac.jp
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ikemoto
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nagatsu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001142:Aromatic-L-Amino-Acid Decarboxylases / Q000378:metabolism; D004298:Dopamine / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D001142:Aromatic-L-Amino-Acid Decarboxylases; D004298:Dopamine