title: Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript-immunoreactivity in the rat sympatho-adrenal axis.
abstract: Distribution of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript-like immunoreactivity (CART-LI) was studied in the rat spinal cord, sympathetic ganglia and adrenal glands by immunohistochemical methods, utilizing a polyclonal antiserum raised against the CART peptide fragment 55-102. CART-LI was detected in nerve fibers and in basket-like terminals surrounding many postganglionic neurons of the superior cervical ganglion (SCG), stellate, paravertebral and prevertebral ganglia. Postganglionic neurons exhibited low or non-detectable levels of CART-LI. Surgical sectioning of the cervical sympathetic trunk for 6-7 days resulted in a nearly complete loss of CART-LI fibers and terminals in the SCG. In the adrenal gland, CART-LI nerve fibers formed a plexus underneath the capsule, some of which bifurcated and made a sharp turn toward the adrenal medulla, where clusters of chromaffin cells were intensely labeled. The detection of CART-LI in sympathetic ganglia and adrenal glands extends the previous observation of the presence of CART-LI in sympathetic preganglionic neurons and further supports the notion that CART peptide(s) may function as a signaling molecule in the sympatho-adrenal axis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA. dunnae@etsu.edu
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Dun
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Dun
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Kwok
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000661:Amphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005728:Ganglia, Sympathetic / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013233:Stellate Ganglion / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D017783:Superior Cervical Ganglion / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects*; D000098882:Cocaine- and Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript Protein
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000098882:Cocaine- and Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript Protein; D000661:Amphetamine; D003042:Cocaine