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Uptake of catecholamines and penetration of trypan blue after blood-brain barrier lesions

A histochemical study

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Summary

Blood-brain barrier lesions were produced on rabbits which had been depleted of their endogenous monoamines with a large dose of reserpine. After the lesion, catecholamines and the blood-brain barrier indicator dye trypan blue were injected. After freeze-drying, the cellular distribution of the injected substances was observed in the fluorescence microscope.

It was found that, in the injured areas, the monoamines and trypan blue had penetrated into the brain parenchyma, where the monoamines were taken up and concentrated in nerve terminals. Trypan blue was found diffusely in the neuropil, while the nerve cell bodies and axons exhibited no fluorescence of trypan blue. On the control side, this type of fluorescence of catecholamines or trypan blue could not be detected.

The lesions applied seem to be quite specific for the blood-brain barrier, as an active and energy-dependent uptake of catecholamines could be demonstrated in central monoamine nerve terminals. Thus the results also show that these terminals have the same reserpine-resistant membrane pump in vivo as earlier demonstrated for peripheral adrenergic neurons, and for central neurons in vitro.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Histology, Göteborgs Universitet, Göteborg, Sweden

    Anders Hamberger & Bertil Hamberger

  2. Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    Anders Hamberger & Bertil Hamberger

Authors
  1. Anders Hamberger
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  2. Bertil Hamberger
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Additional information

This investigation has been supported by research grants (B 66-158 and B 66-257) from the Swedish Medical Research Council and by a Public Health Service Research Grant (NB 05236-02) from the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Blindness. For generous supplies of drugs we thank the Swedish Ciba, Stockholm, Sweden for reserpine (Serpasil®), the Swedish Pfizer, Stockholm, Sweden for nialamide (Niamid®) and Hoechst Anilin AB, Göteborg, Sweden for α-methylnoradrenaline (Corbasil®).

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Hamberger, A., Hamberger, B. Uptake of catecholamines and penetration of trypan blue after blood-brain barrier lesions. Zeitschrift für Zellforschung 70, 386–392 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00336504

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00336504

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