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Cholinergic innervation of the rat hippocampus as revealed by choline acetyltransferase immunocytochemistry: A combined light and electron microscopic study
Author(s) -
Frotscher Michael,
Léránth Csaba
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
journal of comparative neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 209
eISSN - 1096-9861
pISSN - 0021-9967
DOI - 10.1002/cne.902390210
Subject(s) - fascia dentata , choline acetyltransferase , cholinergic , biology , dendritic spine , postsynaptic potential , hippocampal formation , dentate gyrus , neuroscience , immunocytochemistry , granule cell , hippocampus , pyramidal cell , cholinergic neuron , anatomy , biophysics , microbiology and biotechnology , endocrinology , receptor , biochemistry
The cholinergic innervation of the rat hippocampus proper and fascia dentata was investigated by using a monoclonal antibody against choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). At the light microscopic level, thin varicose ChAT‐immunoreactive fibers were observed mainly in the vicinity of the pyramidal and granular layers where they formed a fine network around proximal dendrites of pyramidal and granule cells. In addition, many ChAT‐immunoreactive fibers were found in the hilar region and in stratum oriens, radiatum, and lacunosum‐moleculare of all hippocampal sectors. Electron microscopic analysis revealed ChAT immunoreactivity in thin unmyelinated varicose axons and terminals which established synaptic contacts. Asymmetric contacts of ChAT‐immunoreactive terminals were found on small spines in the dendritic layers of the hippocampus proper and in the molecular layer of the fascia dentata. Symmetric synaptic contacts were formed on the cell bodies of pyramidal and granule cells. Both symmetric and asymmetric synaptic contacts occurred on dendritic shafts. The analysis of serial thin sections, which allows identification of postsynaptic elements, suggests that pyramidal cells, granule cells, and nonpyramidal neurons of the hippocampus receive a cholinergic input.