title: Mapping of neurokinin-like immunoreactivity in the human brainstem.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Using an indirect immunoperoxidase technique, we have studied the distribution of immunoreactive fibers and cell bodies containing neurokinin in the adult human brainstem with no prior history of neurological or psychiatric disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clusters of immunoreactive cell bodies and high densities of neurokinin-immunoreactive fibers were located in the periaqueductal gray, the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus and in the reticular formation of the medulla, pons and mesencephalon. Moreover, immunoreactive cell bodies were found in the inferior colliculus, the raphe obscurus, the nucleus prepositus hypoglossi, and in the midline of the anterior medulla oblongata. In general, immunoreactive fibers containing neurokinin were observed throughout the whole brainstem. In addition to the nuclei mentioned above, the highest densities of such immunoreactive fibers were located in the spinal trigeminal nucleus, the lateral reticular nucleus, the nucleus of the solitary tract, the superior colliculus, the substantia nigra, the nucleus ambiguus, the gracile nucleus, the cuneate nucleus, the motor hypoglossal nucleus, the medial and superior vestibular nuclei, the nucleus prepositus hypoglossi and the interpeduncular nucleus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The widespread distribution of immunoreactive structures containing neurokinin in the human brainstem indicates that neurokinin might be involved in several physiological mechanisms, acting as a neurotransmitter and/or neuromodulator.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurosciences of Castilla y León (INCYL), School of Medicine, Laboratory of Neuroanatomy of the Peptidergic Systems, Salamanca, Spain. covenas@gugu.usal.es
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Coveñas
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Belda
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Salinas
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rivada
authors.forename: Zaida
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Diaz-Cabiale
authors.forename: Jose Angel
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Narvaez
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marcos
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tramu
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Baron
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000166:cytology*; D002452:Cell Count; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007245:Inferior Colliculi / Q000166:cytology; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000166:cytology; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000166:cytology; D015288:Neurokinin A / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015287:Neurokinin B / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology; D010487:Periaqueductal Gray / Q000166:cytology; D011149:Pons / Q000166:cytology; D017552:Solitary Nucleus / Q000166:cytology; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000166:cytology; D013477:Superior Colliculi / Q000166:cytology; D014279:Trigeminal Nucleus, Spinal / Q000166:cytology; D014726:Vestibular Nuclei / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D015288:Neurokinin A; D015287:Neurokinin B