title: Direct projections from substance P-containing neurons to nitric oxide synthase-containing interneurons in the rat striatum.
abstract: We reported previously that substance P (SP)-containing projection neurons (SP-PN) in the striatum emitted many axon collaterals within the striatum (J. Comp. Neurol. 388 (1997) 250), and that substantially all striatal interneurons showing immunoreactivity for nitric oxide synthase (NOS: synthetic enzyme for the freely-diffusible messenger nitric oxide) displayed immunoreactivity for SP receptor (NK1: NK-1-type tachykinin receptor; Neurosci. Lett. 310 (2001) 109). By combining immunohistochemistry for NOS with immunogold labeling for SP, the present study revealed that SP-immunoreactive axon terminals were in synaptic contact with NOS-immunoreactive aspiny neurons in the rat striatum, indicating that SP-PN in the striatum sent their axon collaterals to nitric oxide synthase-expressing interneurons (NOS-IN) in the striatum. On the basis of these present and previous data, possible synaptic and non-synaptic interactions between SP-PN and NOS-IN in the striatum were discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and K.K. Leung Brain Research Center, The Fourth Military Medical University, 710032, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jin Lian
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yu Lin
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mizuno
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003712:Dendrites / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007395:Interneurons / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013373:Substance P / Q000378:metabolism*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide; D013373:Substance P; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase