Abstract
THE pentapeptides leucine (Leu-) enkephalin and methionine (Met-) enkephalin were isolated from brain and shown to be endogenous opiates1. These peptides bind to the brain opiate receptor2, and their biological actions are blocked by the morphine antagonist naloxone3. The availability of synthetic enkephalins has led to the development of radioimmunoassays (refs 2, 4, and R. Miller, personal communication) and immunohistochemical techniques. Preliminary immunohistochemical studies5,6 have shown the distribution of enkephalin-containing fibres to coincide with the regional distribution of opiate receptors as determined by biochemical techniques and autoradiography6–8. The highest density of enkephalin-positive fibres6,8 was located in the globus pallidus. We have now confirmed the presence of enkephalin-immunoreactive fibres in the globus pallidus, and using specific lesions have shown this immunoreactivity to be abolished by destruction of the neural connections between the globus pallidus and the caudoputamen.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Hughes, J. et al. Nature 258, 577–579 (1975).
Simantov, R. & Snyder, S. H. in Opiates and Endogenous Opioid Peptides (ed. Kosterlitz, H. W.) (Elsevier/North-Holland Biomedical, Amsterdam, 1976).
Hughes, J., Smith, T., Morgan, B. & Fothergill, L. Life Sci. 16, 1753–1758 (1975).
Hong, J. S., Yang, H. Y. T. & Costa, E. Neuropharmacology 16, 451–453 (1977).
Elde, R., Hökfelt, T., Johansson, O. & Terenius, L. Neuroscience 1, 349–351 (1977).
Simantov, R., Kuhar, M. J., Uhl, G. R. & Snyder, S. H. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 2167–2171 (1977).
Simantov, R., Snowman, A. M. & Snyder, S. H. Brain Res. 107, 650–657 (1976).
Smith, T. W., Hughes, J., Kosterlitz, H. W. & Sosa, K. P. in Opiates and Endogenous Opioid Peptides (ed. Kosterlitz, H. W.) 57–62 (Elsevier/North Holland/Biomedical, Amsterdam, 1976).
Coons, A. H. & Kaplan, M. H. J. exp. Med. 91, 1–9 (1950).
Hökfelt, T., Kellerth, J. O., Nilsson, G. & Pernow, B. Brain Res. 100, 235–252 (1975).
Cuello, A. C. et al. in Centrally Acting Peptides (ed. Hughes, J.) (Macmillan, London, in the press).
Kemp, J. M. & Powell, T. P. S. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. 262, 441–457 (1971).
Carpenter, M. Adv. Neurol. 14 (eds Eldridge, R. & Fahn, S.) (Raven, New York, 1976).
Yang, J. S. & Costa, E. in Endorphins (ed. Costa, E.) (Raven, New York, in the press).
Hökfelt, T., Elde, R., Johansson, O., Terenius, L. & Stein, L. Neurosci. Lett. 5, 25–31 (1977).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
CUELLO, A., PAXINOS, G. Evidence for a long Leu-enkephalin striopallidal pathway in rat brain. Nature 271, 178–180 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1038/271178a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/271178a0
- Springer Nature Limited
This article is cited by
-
Exploring neurocircuitries of the basal ganglia by intracerebral administration of selective neurotoxins
Neurotoxicity Research (2007)
-
Distribution of DARPP-32 in the basal ganglia: an electron microscopic study
Journal of Neurocytology (1990)
-
Localization of striatal opioid gene expression, and its modulation by the mesostriatal dopamine pathway: An in situ hybridization study
Journal of Molecular Neuroscience (1989)
-
Distribution of enkephalin-immunoreactive nerve fibres and terminals in the region of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis of the rat: a light and electron microscopic study
Journal of Neurocytology (1988)
-
Changes in limb tone produced by regional injections of opiates into rat brain
Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology (1987)