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Comparative immunocytochemical localization of putative opioid ligands in the central nervous system

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Summary

We report a detailed comparative immunocytochemical mapping of enkephalin, CCK and ACTH/gb-endorphin immunoreactive nerves in the central nervous system of rat and guinea pig. Enkephalin immunoreactivity was detected in many groups of nerve cell bodies, fibers and terminals in the limbic system, basal ganglia, hypothalamus, thalamus, brain stem and spinal cord. β-endorphin and ACTH immunoreactivity was limited to a single group of nerve cell bodies in and around the arcuate nucleus and in fibers and terminals in the midline areas of the hypothalamus, thalamus and mesencephalic periaqueductal gray with lateral extensions to the amygdaloid area. Cholecystokinin immunoreactive nerve fibers and terminals displayed a distribution similar to that of enkephalin in many regions; but striking differences were also found. An immunocytochemical doublestaining technique, which allowed simultaneous detection of two different peptides in the same tissue section, showed that enkephalin-, CCK- and ACTH/β-endorphin-immunoreactive nerves although closely intermingled in many brain areas, occurred separately. The distributions of nerve terminals containing these neuropeptides showed striking overlaps and also paralleled the distribution of opiate receptors. This may suggest that enkephalin, CCK, ACTH and β-endorphin may interact with each other and with opiate receptors.

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Abbreviations

CA:

Commissura anterior

CAI:

Capsula interna

CO:

Chiasma opticum

CPF:

Cortex piriformis

CSDD:

Commissura supraoptica dorsalis, pars dorsalis (Ganser)

CSDV:

Commissura supraoptica dorsalis, pars ventralis (Meynert)

FMP:

Fasciculus medialis prosencephali

FOR:

Formatio reticularis

GD:

Gyrus dentatus

GP:

Glubus pallidus

H:

Habenula

HI:

Hippocampus

S:

Subiculum

SGCD:

Substantia grisea centralis, pars dorsalis

SGCL:

Substantia grisea centralis, pars lateralis

SGPV:

Substantia grisea periventricularis

SNC:

Substantia nigra, zona compacta

SNL:

Substantia nigra, pars lateralis

ST:

Stria terminalis

STP:

Stria terminalis, pars precommissuralis

TD:

Tractus diagonalis (Broca)

TO:

Tractus opticus

TSHT:

Tractus septohypothalamicus

TUOP:

Tuberculum olfactorium, pars corticalis

SUM:

Decussatio supramamillaris

a:

Nucleus accumbens

ac:

Nucleus amygdaloideus centralis

aco:

Nucleus amygdaloideus corticalis

am:

Nucleus amygdaloideus medialis

ar:

Nucleus arcuatus

cp:

Nucleus caudatus putamen

dcgl:

Nucleus dorsalis corporis geniculati lateralis

em:

Eminentia mediana

fm:

Nucleus paraventricularis, pars magnocellularis

fp:

Nucleus paraventricularis, pars parvocellularis

ha:

Nucleus anterior (hypothalami)

hd:

Nucleus dorsomedialis (hypothalami)

hl:

Nucleus lateralis (hypothalami)

hp:

Nucleus posterior (hypothalami)

hpv:

Nucleus periventricularis (hypothalami)

hv:

Nucleus ventromedialis (hypothalami)

ip:

Nucleus interpeduncularis

mcgm:

Nucleus marginalis corporis geniculatic medialis

mm:

Nucleus mammillaris medialis

ml:

Nucleus mammillaris lateralis

mh:

Nucleus medialis habenulae

p:

Nucleus pretectalis

pf:

Nucleus parafascicularis

pom:

Nucleus preopticus medialis

pop:

Nucleus preopticus periventricularis

posc:

Nucleus preopticus, pars suprachiasmatica

pt:

Nucleus paratenialis

pvs:

Nucleus periventricularis stellatocellularis

re:

Nucleus reuniens

sc:

Nucleus suprachiasmaticus

sl:

Nucleus septi lateralis

so:

Nucleus supraopticus

st:

Nucleus interstitialis striae terminalis

tad:

Nucleus anterior dorsalis thalami

tam:

Nucleus anterior medialis thalami

tav:

Nucleus anterior ventralis thalami

td:

Nucleus tractus diagonalis (Broca)

th:

Nuclei thalami

tl:

Nucleus lateralis thalami

tlp:

Nucleus lateralis thalami, pars posterior

tm:

Nucleus medialis thalami

tml:

Nucleus medialis thalami, pars lateralis

tmm:

Nucleus medialis thalami, pars medialis

tpo:

Nucleus posterior thalami

tr:

Nucleus reticularis thalami

tv:

Nucleus ventralis thalami

tvd:

Nucleus ventralis thalami, pars dorsomedialis

tvm:

Nucleus ventralis medialis thalami, pars magnocellularis

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  1. Institute of Medical Biochemistry, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark

    K. Stengaard-Pedersen & L. -I. Larsson

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  1. K. Stengaard-Pedersen
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  2. L. -I. Larsson
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Stengaard-Pedersen, K., Larsson, L.I. Comparative immunocytochemical localization of putative opioid ligands in the central nervous system. Histochemistry 73, 89–114 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00493136

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00493136

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