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Widespread distribution of substance P-and somatostatin-immunoreactive elements in the spinal cord of the neonatal rat

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Summary

The distribution of substance P (SP)- and somatostatin (SOM)-immunoreactive elements in the spinal cord of the neonatal rat was examined. With few exceptions, the distribution of SP-immunoreactive elements is similar to that described for the adult. A major difference is the obvious presence of SP-immunoreactive fibers in all funiculi of neonatal cords. In addition, an obvious small bundle of longitudinal SP immunoreactive fibers is seen in the base of the dorsal horn at rostral cervical levels. Unlike that of the adult, the neonatal spinal cord shows a widespread distribution of SOM-immunoreactivity. SOM-immunoreactive fibers are present in all funiculi. SOM-immunoreactive perikarya of various shapes and sizes are widely dispersed throughout the gray matter. The cell density is increased in the superficial laminae of the dorsal horn, in a region ventral-lateral to the central canal and in the ventral horn. SOM-immunoreactive varicosities are present in moderate amounts in the superficial laminae of the dorsal horn but are extremely sparse in other regions of the gray matter. A few SOM-immunoreactive fibers course longitudinally at the base of the dorsal horn at rostral levels of the cord. These fibers are found in the same region occupied by the longitudinal SP-immunoreactive fibers referred to above.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA

    Raymond H. Ho

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  1. Raymond H. Ho
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Supported by NS-10165 and NS-17080. The results were presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, 1981

I thank Dr. George F. Martin and Dr. Robert Elde for their helpful suggestions in the preparation of this manuscript. The photographic assistance of Mr. Karl B. Rubin is gratefully acknowledged

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Ho, R.H. Widespread distribution of substance P-and somatostatin-immunoreactive elements in the spinal cord of the neonatal rat. Cell Tissue Res. 232, 471–486 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00216422

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