Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The paratrigeminal nucleus. II. Identification and inter-relations of catecholamine axons, indoleamine axons, and Substance P immunoreactive cells in the neuropil

  • Published:
Journal of Neurocytology

Summary

The localization of three different putative neurotransmitters— indoleamine, catecholamine, and Substance P — was studied in the paratrigeminal nucleus of the rat and rhesus monkey at the light and electron microscope level by autoradiography following administration of [3H] 5-hydroxytryptamine, or [3H] norepinephrine, and by immunocytochemistry using the unlabelled anti-Substance P antiserum peroxidase—antiperoxidase technique. The paratrigeminai neurons are not monoaminergic but certain cells exhibit Substance P-like immunoreactivity. These cells receive a rich plexus of indoleamine afferents, a sparse catecholamine input, and a rich plexus of fibres with Substance P-like immunoreactivity. Of the entire monoaminergic population of labelled axons, more than 60% are synaptic and less then 40% nonsynaptic, and this proportion is the same for indoleamines as for catecholamines. Indoleamine axons form a heterogeneous population with at least four different morphological types that are synaptic and three that are nonsynaptic. They bear distinctive collections of small, clear, tubular or large granular vesicles, which distinguish one category of axon from another. These axons engage in numerous axo—somatic, axo—spinous, axo—dendritic, and possibly axo—axonic relations with paratrigeminal neurons. The catecholamine axons are also heterogeneous in axoplasmic morphology but their terminal contacts are distributed to more peripheral portions of dendrites. The significance of the inter-relations between the monaminergic and peptidergic elements in the paratrigeminal nucleus is dicussed in relation to the possible functions of this nucleus as a nociceptive, chemosensitive, or pressure-sensitive centre on the lateral medullary surface.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aghajanian, G. K. andGallagher, D. W. (1975) Raphe origin of serotonergic nerves terminating in the cerebral ventricles.Brain Research 88, 221–31.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Alonso, G., Pons, F., andCadilhac, J. (1974) Mise en évidence par radioautographie de terminaisons indolaminergigues dans les parois ventriculaires cérébrales chez le rat.Comtes rendus des séances de la Société de Biologie 168, 1021.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arluison, M., Bouchaud, P. D. andDimarco, C. D. (1976) Sur la présence de terminaisons susépendymaires ‘géantes’ dans le cerveau des rongeurs.Comptes rendus hebdomadaire des séances de l'Academie des sciences, Paris,282, Series D, 381–3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Calas, A., Alonso, G., Arnauld, E. andVincent, J. D. (1974) Demonstration of indolaminergic fibres in the median eminence of the duck, rat and monkey.Nature 250, 242–3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Calas, A., Besson, M. J., Gaughy, G., Alonso, G., Glowinski, J. andCheramy, A. (1976) Radioautographic study ofin vivo incorporation of3H-monoamines in the cat caudate nucleus: identification of serotoninergic fibres.Brain Research 118, 1–13.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chan-Palay, V. (1975) Fine structure of labelled axons in the cerebellar cortex and nuclei of rodents and primates after intraventricular infusions with tritiated serotonin.Anatomy and Embryology 148, 235–65.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chan-Palay, V. (1976) Serotonin axons in the supra- and subependymal plexuses and in the leptomeninges; their roles in local alterations of cerebrospinal fluid and vasomotor activity.Brain Research 102, 103–30.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chan-Palay, V. (1977a) Indoleamine neurons and their processes in the normal rat brain and in chronic diet-induced thiamine deficiency demonstrated by uptake of3H-serotonin.Journal of Comparative Neurology 176, 467–94.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chan-Palay, V. (1977b)Cerebellar Dentate Nucleus, Organization, Cytology, and Transmitters. pp. 418–28, 489–92, 502–13. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: Springer-Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chan-Palay, V. (1977c) Morphological correlates for transmitter synthesis, transport, release, uptake and catabolism: A study of serotonin neurons in the nucleus paragigantocellularis lateralis. InAmino Acids as Chemical Transmitters, NATO Advanced Study Institute Symposium, New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chan-Palay, V. (1978) The paratrigeminal nucleus I. Neurons and synaptic organization.Journal of Neurocytology 7, 405–18.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chan-Palay, V., Jonsson, G. andPalay, S. L. (1978) On the Coexistence of Serotonin and Substance P in Neurons of the Rat Central Nervous System.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, U.S.A. (in press).

  • Descarries, L., Beaudet, A., andWatkins, K. C. (1975) Serotonin nerve terminals in adult rat neocortex.Brain Research 100, 563–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Feldberg, W. (1976) The ventral surface of the brain stem: a scarcely explored region of pharmacological sensitivity.Neuroscience 1, 427–41.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hökfelt, T. (1968)In vitro studies on central and peripheral monoamine neurons at the ultrastrucural level.Zeitschrift für Zellforshung und mikroskopische Anatomie 91, 1–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hökfelt, T., Kellerth, J. O., Nillsson, G. andPernow, B. (1975) Substance P: localization in the central nervous system and in some primary sensory neurons.Science 190, 889–90.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hökfelt, T., Johansson, O., Kellerth, J.-O., Ljungdahl, Å., Nilsson, G., Nygards, A. andPernow, B. (1977) Immunohistochemical distribution of Substance P. InSubstance P (edited byVon Euler, U. S. andPernow, B.), pp 117–143. New York: Raven Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Léger, L. andDescarries, L. (1976) The Serotonin innervation of rat locus coeruleus: axon terminals with a special type of presynaptic organelle.Society for Neuroscience, p. 468 (abstract)

  • Lorez, H. P. andRichards, J. G. (1973) Distribution of indolealkylamine nerve terminals in the ventricles of the rat brain.Zeitschrift für Zellforschung und mikroskopische Anatomie 144, 511–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lorez, H. P. andRichards, J. G. (1975) 5-HT nerve terminals in the fourth ventricle of the rat brain: their identification and distribution studied by fluorescence histochemistry and electron microscopy.Cell and Tissue Research 165, 37–48.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lorez, H. P., Pieri, L. andRichards, J. G. (1975) Disappearance of supraependymal 5-HT axons in the rat forebrain after electrolytic and 5,6-DHT-induced lesions of the medial forebrain bundle.Brain Research 100, 1–12.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Olszewski, J. andBaxter, D. (1954)Cytoarchitecture of the Human Brain Stem. Philadelphia, Montreal: J. B. Lippincott Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Otsuka, M. andKonishi, S. (1976) Substance P and excitatory transmitter of primary sensory neurons.Cold Spring Harbor Symposium on Quantitative Biology 40, 135–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pickel, V. M., Joh, T. H., andReis, D. J. (1976) Monoamine-synthesizing enzymes in central dopaminergic, noradrenergic and serotonergic neurons. Immunocytochemical localization by light and electron microscopy.Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry 24, 792–6.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pickel, V. M., Joh, T. H., andReis, D. J. (1977) A serotonergic innervation of noradrenergic neurons in nucleus locus coeruleus: demonstration by immunocytochemical localization of the transmitter specific enzymes tyrosine and tryptophan hydroxylase.Brain Research 131, 197–214.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Richards, J. G. andTranzer, J. P. (1974) Ultrastructural evidence for the localization of an indolealkyalmine in supra-ependymal nerves from combined cytochemistry and pharmacology.Experentia (Basel) 30, 287–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richards, J. G., Lorez, H. P., andTranzer, J. P. (1973) Indolealkyalmine nerve terminals in cerebral ventricles: identification by electron microscopy and fluorescence histochemistry.Brain Research 57, 287–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sternberger, L. (1974)Immunocytochemistry, Foundations of Immunology Series (edited byOsler, A. andWeiss, L.), p. 171. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taber, E. (1961) The cytoarchitecture of the brain stem of the cat. I. Brain stem nuclei of cat.Journal of Comparative Neurology 116, 27–70.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tennyson, V. M., Heikkila, R., Mytilineou, C., Cote, L., andCohen, G. (1974) 5-hydroxydopamine ‘tagged’ neuronal boutons in rabbit neostriatum: interrelationship between vesicles and axonal membranes.Brain Research 82, 341–8.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Trouth, C. O., Loeschcke, H.H. andBerndt, J. (1973) Histological structures in the chemosensitive regions on the ventral surface of the cat's medulla oblongata.Pflügers Archiv für die gesamte Physiologie des Menschen und der Tiere 339, 171–83.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 02115, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Victoria Chan-Palay

Authors
  1. Victoria Chan-Palay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chan-Palay, V. The paratrigeminal nucleus. II. Identification and inter-relations of catecholamine axons, indoleamine axons, and Substance P immunoreactive cells in the neuropil. J Neurocytol 7, 419–442 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01173989

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01173989

Keywords

Search

Navigation