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Catecholaminergic innervation of pyramidal and GABAergic nonpyramidal neurons in the rat hippocampus

Double label immunostaining with antibodies against tyrosine hydroxylase and glutamate decarboxylase

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Summary

This study describes the catecholaminergic innervation of rat hippocampal neurons at the electron microscopic level by using an antibody against tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and immunocytochemical techniques. In a first series of experiments, the course and distribution as well as the synaptic contacts of TH-immunoreactive fibers were analyzed with the peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) method. Next, peroxidase immunostaining of TH fibers was combined with glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) immunostaining, using avidinated ferritin as a second electrondense marker. Our results demonstrate that TH-immunostained terminals establish asymmetric synaptic contacts with spines of pyramidal neurons, and symmetric synaptic contacts with cell bodies and dendritic shafts of ferritin-labeled GAD-immunoreactive nonpyramidal cells.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Anatomy, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, D-6000, Frankfurt am Main 70, Federal Republic of Germany

    M. Frotscher

  2. Section of Neuroanatomy, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, P.O. Box 3333, 06510, New Haven, CT, USA

    C. Leranth

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  1. M. Frotscher
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  2. C. Leranth
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Dedicated to Professor Dr. T.H. Schiebler on the occasion of his 65th birthday.

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Frotscher, M., Leranth, C. Catecholaminergic innervation of pyramidal and GABAergic nonpyramidal neurons in the rat hippocampus. Histochemistry 88, 313–319 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00570289

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00570289

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