Skip to main content
Log in

Light and electron microscopic localization of GABA-like immunoreactivity in myenteric plexus of chicken

  • Published:
Histochemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Whole-mounts of 1-day-old chicken midgut were incubated with an antiserum against GABA-glutaraldehyde-BSA conjugate. The immunoreaction was visualized by using the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method, and processed for consecutive light and electronmicroscopic observation. GABA was selectively localized in some of the varicose and nonvaricose nerve fibres of the myenteric plexus. The varicose fibres formed dense networks within the myenteric ganglia, some of which — mainly in duodenum — also contained immunopositive nerve cell bodies. Some of the varicose fibres projected out from the myenteric plexus into the circular muscle layer. At the electronmicroscopic level, labelled axon terminals formed synaptic contact with unlabelled perikarya and vica versa. At the same time, no labelled terminals were found on immunostained cells. In a few cases, axon terminals with GABA positivity were situated close to the smooth muscle cells in the circular muscle layer, suggesting a prejunctional GABA effect on the neighbouring nerve terminals on the release of their transmitters.

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

Access this article

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Baetge G, Gershon D (1986) GABA in the PNS: Demonstration in enteric neurons. Brain Res Bull 16:421–424

    Google Scholar 

  • Blechschmidt K, Eckert M, Penzlin H (1988) Simultaneous localization of a classical neurotransmitter (GABA) and a peptide transmitter candidate (proctolin) in the nervous system of the cockroach, Periplaneta americana. Acta Histochem (Suppl) 35:127–135

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowery WG, Doble A, Hill DR, Hudson AL, Show JS, Turnbull MG, Warrington R (1981) Bicuculline-insensitive GABA receptors on peripheral autonomic nerve terminals. Eur J Pharmacol 71:53–70

    Google Scholar 

  • Cherubini E, North RA (1984) Actions of γ-aminobutiric-acid on neurons of guinea-pig myenteric plexus. Br J Pharmacol 82:93–100

    Google Scholar 

  • Davanger S, Ottersen OP, Storm-Mathisen J (1987) Immunocytochemical localization of GABA in cat myenteric plexus. Neurosci Lett 73:27–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Fekete É, Csoknya M (1987) Fluorescence characterization of the nerve plexuses in the small intestine of the chicken. Acta Biol Szeged 33:97–104

    Google Scholar 

  • Freund T, Antal M (1988) GABA-containing neurons in the septum control inhibitory interneurons in the hippocampus. Nature 336:170–173

    Google Scholar 

  • Füller H, Eckert M, Blechschmidt K (1989) Distribution of GABA-like immunoreactive neurons in the optic lobes of Periplaneta americana. Cell Tissue Res 255:225–233

    Google Scholar 

  • Gabella G (1972) Innervation of the intestinal muscular coat. J Neurocytol 1:341–362

    Google Scholar 

  • Gabriel R, Eckert M (1989) Demonstration of GABA-like immunoreactivity in myenteric plexus of frog stomach. Histochemistry 91:523–525

    Google Scholar 

  • Hobbiger F (1958) Effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid on the isolated mammalian ileum. J Physiol (Lond) 142:147–164

    Google Scholar 

  • Jessen KR, Mirsky R, Dennison ME, Burnstock G (1979) GABA may be a neurotransmitter in the vertebrate peripheral nervous system. Nature 281:71–74

    Google Scholar 

  • Jessen KR, Hills JM, Saffrey MJ (1986) Immunohistochemical demonstration of GABA ergic neurons in the enteric nervous system. J Neurosci 6 (6):1628–1634

    Google Scholar 

  • Jessen KR, Mirsky R, Hills JM (1987) GABA as an autonomic neurotransmitter studies on intrinsic GABA-ergic neurons in the myenteric plexus of the gut. Trends Neurosci 10:255–262

    Google Scholar 

  • Kerr DIB, Krantis A (1983) Uptake stimulus-evoked release of 3H-aminobutyric acid by myenteric nerves of guinea-pig intestine. Br J Pharmacol 78:271–276

    Google Scholar 

  • Kerr DIB, Ong J (1986) γ-aminobutyric acid-dependent motility induced by avermectin B1a in the isolated intestine of the guinea-pig. Neurosci Lett 65:7–10

    Google Scholar 

  • Miki Y, Taniyama K, Tanaka C, Tobe T (1983) GABA glutamic acid decarboxilase and GABA transaminase levels in the myenteric plexus in the intestine of humans and other mammals. J Neurochem 40:861–865

    Google Scholar 

  • Ong J, Kerr DIB (1983) GABAa and GABAb-receptor mediated modification of intestinal motility. Eur J Pharmacol 86:9–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Ong J, Kerr DIB (1984) Potentiation of GABAa receptor mediated responses by barbiturates in the guinea pig ileum. Eur J Pharmacol 103:327–332

    Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds ES (1963) The use of lead citrate as an electrone dense stain in electron microscopy. J Cell Biol 17:208–212

    Google Scholar 

  • Saffrey MJ, Marcus N, Jessen KR, Burnstock G (1983) Distribution of neurons with high-affinity uptake sites for GABA in the myenteric plexus of the guinea pig, rat and chicken. Cell Tissue Res 234:231–235

    Google Scholar 

  • Somogyi P, Hodgson AJ, Smith AD, Nunzi NG, Gorio A, Wu JY (1984) Different populations of GABA-ergic neurons in the visual cortex and hippocampus of cat contain somatostatinor cholecystokinin-immunoreactive material. J Neurosci 4:2590–2603

    Google Scholar 

  • Sternberger LA, Hardy PH, Cuculis JJ, Meyer HG (1970) The unlabelled antibody-enzyme method of immunohistochemistry. Preparation and properties of soluble antigen-antibody complex (horseradish peroxidase-anti horseradish peroxidase) and its use in identification of spirochetes. J Histochem Cytochem 18:315–333

    Google Scholar 

  • Storm-Mathisen J, Lekues AK, Bore AT, Vaaland SJ, Edminson P, Haug FMS, Ottersen OP (1983) First visualization of glutamate and GABA in neurons by immunocytochemistry. Nature 301:517–520

    Google Scholar 

  • Taniyama K, Miki Y, Kusunoki M, Saito N, Tanaka C (1983) Release of endogenous and labelled GABA from isolated guinea-pig ileum. Am J Physiol 245:6717–6721

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Fekete, É., Gábriel, R. Light and electron microscopic localization of GABA-like immunoreactivity in myenteric plexus of chicken. Histochemistry 93, 75–80 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00266850

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00266850

Keywords

Navigation