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Axons containing neuropeptide Y innervate arginine vasopressin-containing neurons in the rat paraventricular nucleus

Dual electron microscopic immunolabeling

Histochemistry volume 91, pages 273–281 (1989)Cite this article

Summary

Synaptic connections between neurons immunoreactive for arginine vasopressin (AVP) and axon terminals immunoreactive for neuropeptide Y (NPY) were found in the magnocellular part of the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in the rat hypothalamus. In pre-embedding double immunolabeling, NPY axon terminals labeled with diamin-obenzidine (DAB) reaction product established synaptic junctions on the perikarya and neuronal processes of AVP neurons labeled with silver-gold particles. Ultrastructural morphology of the neurons was more suitably preserved by a combination of pre- and post-embedding procedures. The presynaptic NPY terminals contained many small clear vesicles and a few cored vesicles, and DAB chromogen (immunoreaction product) was located on the surface of the vesicular profiles and on the core. The postsynaptic AVP neurons possessed many large secretory granules labeled with gold particles. At the synaptic junctions, small clear vesicles were accumulated at the presynaptic membrane, and the postsynaptic membrane was coated with a dense accumulation of fine electron dense particles. The perikarya also received synapses made by immuno-negative axon terminals containing many small clear vesicles and a few cored vesicles. These terminals were found more frequently than those containing NPY.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, The University of Tokushima, 770, Tokushima, Japan

    Y. Kagotani, Y. Tsuruo, S. Hisano & S. Daikoku

  2. International Center for Medical Research, Kobe University School of Medicine, 650, Kobe, Japan

    K. Chihara

Authors
  1. Y. Kagotani
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  2. Y. Tsuruo
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  3. S. Hisano
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  4. S. Daikoku
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  5. K. Chihara
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Kagotani, Y., Tsuruo, Y., Hisano, S. et al. Axons containing neuropeptide Y innervate arginine vasopressin-containing neurons in the rat paraventricular nucleus. Histochemistry 91, 273–281 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00493001

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00493001

Keywords

  • Vasopressin
  • Axon Terminal
  • Paraventricular Nucleus
  • Arginine Vasopressin
  • Postsynaptic Membrane