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Mapping of alpha-neo-endorphin- and neurokinin B-immunoreactivity in the human brainstem

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Abstract

We have studied the distribution of alpha-neo-endorphin- or neurokinin B-immunoreactive fibres and cell bodies in the adult human brainstem with no prior history of neurological or psychiatric disease. A low density of alpha-neo-endorphin-immunoreactive cell bodies was only observed in the medullary central gray matter and in the spinal trigeminal nucleus (gelatinosa part). Alpha-neo-endorphin-immunoreactive fibres were moderately distributed throughout the human brainstem. A high density of alpha-neo-endorphin-immunoreactive fibres was found only in the solitary nucleus (caudal part), in the spinal trigeminal nucleus (caudal part), and in the gelatinosa part of the latter nucleus. Neurokinin B-immunoreactive cell bodies (low density) were found in the periventricular central gray matter, the reticular formation of the pons and in the superior colliculus. The distribution of the neurokinin-immunoreactive fibres was restricted. In general, for both neuropeptides the density of the immunoreactive fibres was low. In the human brainstem, the proenkephalin system was more widely distributed than the prodynorphin system, and the preprotachykinin A system (neurokinin A) was more widely distributed than the preprotachykinin B system (neurokinin B).

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Abbreviations

AbdNu:

Abducens nucleus

AccNu:

Nucleus of the accessory nerve

CA:

Cerebral aqueduct

CeGy:

Medullary central gray

Cegy:

Periaqueductal central gray

CEgy:

Periventricular central gray

CSNu:

Chief sensory nucleus

CSp:

Corticospinal fibres

CTT:

Central tegmental tract

DAO:

Dorsal accessory olivary nucleus

DCNu:

Dorsal cochlear nucleus

DMNu:

Dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus

FacNu:

Motor facial nucleus

FCu:

Fasciculus cuneatus

FGr:

Fasciculus gracilis

HyNu:

Motor hypoglossal nucleus

IC, CNu:

Inferior colliculus, central nucleus

IC, LZ:

Inferior colliculus, lateral zone

ISNu:

Inferior salivatory nucleus

LCNu:

Lateral cuneate nucleus

LoCer:

Locus coeruleus

LRNu:

Lateral reticular nucleus

MAO:

Medial accessory olivary nucleus

ML:

Medial lemniscus

MLF:

Medial longitudinal fascicle

MVN:

Medial vestibular nucleus

NuAm:

Nucleus ambiguus

NuCu:

Cuneate nucleus

NuGr:

Gracile nucleus

NuPp:

Nucleus prepositus hypoglossi

PCbF:

Pontocerebellar fibres

PO:

Principal part of the inferior olivary nucleus

PonNu:

Pontine nuclei

Py:

Pyramidal tract

RB:

Restiform body

RetF:

Reticular formation

SC:

Superior colliculus

SCP:

Superior cerebellar peduncle

SM:

Stria medullaris of fourth ventricle

SN:

Substantia nigra

SO:

Superior olive

SolNu:

Nucleus of the solitary tract

SolTr:

Solitary tract

SpTNu:

Spinal trigeminal nucleus

SpTNu (g):

Spinal trigeminal nucleus (gelatinosa)

SpTNu (m):

Spinal trigeminal nucleus (magnocellular)

SpTT:

Spinal trigeminal tract

SpVN:

Spinal (inferior) vestibular nucleus

TecSp:

Tectospinal tract

TriMoNu:

Trigeminal motor nucleus (caudal part)

TroNu:

Trochlear nucleus

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank N. Skinner for supervising the English text and Professor Gérard Tramu (University of Bordeaux I, France) for kindly providing the alpha-neo-endorphin antiserum. This work has been supported by the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (BFU2005-02241/BFI) and by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (BFU2008-03369/BFI), Spain.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Neuroscience (Lab. 143), Pontificia Bolivariana-Montería University, Montería, Colombia

    Ewing Duque

  2. Laboratory of Neuroanatomy of the Peptidergic Systems (Lab. 14), Institute of Neuroscience of Castilla y León (INCYL), c/Pintor Fernando Gallego, 1, 37007, Salamanca, Spain

    Arturo Mangas & Rafael Coveñas

  3. Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain

    Pablo Salinas

  4. Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain

    Zaida Díaz-Cabiale & José Angel Narváez

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  1. Ewing Duque
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  2. Arturo Mangas
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  3. Pablo Salinas
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  4. Zaida Díaz-Cabiale
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  5. José Angel Narváez
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  6. Rafael Coveñas
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Correspondence to Rafael Coveñas.

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Duque, E., Mangas, A., Salinas, P. et al. Mapping of alpha-neo-endorphin- and neurokinin B-immunoreactivity in the human brainstem. Brain Struct Funct 218, 131–149 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-012-0388-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-012-0388-3

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