Summary
By combining histochemical procedures, evidence was obtained in the rat that acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is contained within perikarya of dopaminergic substantia nigra cells which project to the caudoputamen. Nigrostriatal neurons were identified by retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Simultaneous incubation of substantia nigra sections for the presence of AChE and HRP demonstrated both reaction products in the same cell bodies. The catecholaminergic nature of these cells was determined by a loss of HRP and AChE reaction products subsequent to intranigral injection of 6-hydroxydopamine.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Brownstein, M. J., Mroz, E. A., Tappaz, M. L., Leeman, S. E. On the origin of Substance P and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) in the substantia nigra. Brain Res.135, 315–323 (1977).
Bunney, B. S., Aghajanian, G. K. The precise localization of nigral afferents in the rat as determined by a retrograde tracing technique. Brain Res.117, 423–435 (1976).
Butcher, L. L., Talbot, K., Bilezikjian, L. Acetylcholinesterase neurons in dopamine-containing regions of the brain. J. Neural Transm.37, 127 to 153 (1975).
Butcher, L. L., Talbot, K., Bilezikjian, L. Localization of acetylcholinesterase within dopamine-containing neurons in the zona compacta of the substantia nigra. Proc. West. Pharm. Soc.18, 256–259 (1975).
Colman, D. R., Scalia, F., Cabrales, E. Light and electron microscopic observations on the anterograde transport of horseradish peroxidase in the optic pathway in the mouse and rat. Brain Res.102, 156–163 (1976).
Conrad, L. C. A., Leonard, C. M., Pfaff, D. W. Connections of the median and dorsal raphe nuclei in the rat: An autoradiographic and degeneration study. J. comp. Neurol.156, 179–206 (1974).
Dahlström, A., Fuxe, K. Evidence for the existence of monoamine-containing neurons in the central nervous system. I. Demonstration of monoamines in the cell bodies of brainstem neurons. Acta physiol. (Scand.)62, Suppl. 232, 1–55 (1964).
Dray, A., Gonye, T. J., Oakley, N. R., Tanner, T. Evidence for the existence of a raphe projection to the substantia nigra in rat. Brain Res.113, 45–57 (1976).
Fibiger, H. C., Miller, J. J. Raphe projections to the substantia nigra: A possible mechanism for interaction between dopaminergic and seroton-ergic systems. Neurosci. Abst.2, 487 (1976).
Fonnum, F., Grofova, I. Rinvik, E., Storm-Mathisen, J., Walberg, F. Origin and distribution of glutamate decarboxylase in substantia nigra of the cat. Brain Res.71, 77–92 (1974).
Gordon, J. J. N-diethylaminothylphenothiazine: A specific inhibitor of pseudocholinesterase. Nature162, 146 (1948).
Graham, R. C., jr., Karnovsky, M. J. The early stages of absorption of injected HRP in the proximal tubules of mouse kidney: Ultrastructural cytochemistry by a new technique. J. Histochem. Cytochem.14, 291 to 302 (1966).
Hardy, H., Heimer, L., Switzer, R., Watkins, D. Simultaneous demonstration of horseradish peroxidase and acetylcholinesterase. Neurosci. L.3, 1–5 (1976).
Hattori, T., McGeer, P. L., Fibiger, H. C., McGeer, E. G. On the source of GABA-containing terminals in the substantia nigra: Electron microscopic autoradiographic and biochemical studies. Brain Res.54, 103 to 114 (1973).
Hökfelt, T., Ungerstedt, U. Specificity of 6-hydroxydopamine induced degeneration of central monoamine neurones: An electron and fluorescence microscopic study with special reference to intracerebral injection on the nigro-striatal dopamine system. Brain Res.60, 269–297 (1973).
Hong, J. S., Yang, H.-Y. T., Racagni, G., Costa, E. Projections of Substance P containing neurons from neostriatum to substantia nigra. Brain Res.122, 541–544 (1977).
Horner, H. T., Arnott, H. J. The use of a multicompartment tray for processing many specimens at one time. Stain Tech.36, 204–205 (1961).
Javoy, F., Sotelo, C., Herbet, A., Agid, Y. Specificity of dopaminergic neuronal degeneration induced by intracerebral injection of 6-hydroxydopamine in the nigrostriatal dopamine system. Brain Res.102, 201 to 215 (1976).
Karnovsky, M. J., Roots, L. A direct coloring thiocholine method for cholinesterase. J. Histochem. Cytochem.12, 219–221 (1964).
Kataoka, K., Bak, I. J., Hassler, R., Kim, J. S., Wagner, A. L-glutamate decarboxylase and choline acetyltransferase activity in the substantia nigra and the striatum after surgical interruption of the strio-nigral fibers of the baboon. Exp. Brain Res.19, 217–227 (1974).
König, J. F. R., Klippel, R. A. The rat brain. A stereotaxic atlas of the forebrain and lower parts of the brain stem. New York: Krieger. 1963.
McGeer, P. L., Fibiger, H. C., Hattori, T., Singh, V. H., McGeer, E. G., Maler, L. Biochemical neuroanatomy of the basal ganglia. In: Advances in behavioral biology (Meyers, R. D., Drucker-Colin, R. R., eds.). New York: Plenum Press. 1974.
Mroz, E. A., Brownstein, M. J., Leeman, S. E. Evidence for Substance P in the striato-nigral tract. Brain Res.125, 305–311 (1977).
Ribak, C. E., Vaughn, J. E., Saito, K., Barber, R., Roberts, E. Immunocytochemical localization of glutamate decarboxylase in rat substantia nigra. Brain Res.116, 287–298 (1976).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Meibach, R.C., Weaver, L.M. Histochemical identification of acetylcholinesterase in dopaminergic nigrostriatal neurons. J. Neural Transmission 44, 87–96 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01252704
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01252704