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Dopaminergic innervation of rat locus coeruleus: A light and electron microscopic immunohistochemical study
Author(s) -
Maeda Toshihiro,
Kitahama Kunio,
Geffard Michel
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
microscopy research and technique
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1097-0029
pISSN - 1059-910X
DOI - 10.1002/jemt.1070290306
Subject(s) - locus coeruleus , immunohistochemistry , dopaminergic , neuroscience , pathology , biology , anatomy , central nervous system , medicine , dopamine
Dopaminergic innervation of the rat locus coeruleus (LC) was immunohistochemically studied by using monoclonal antibody directed against dopamine (DA) at the light‐ and electron‐microscopic levels. A dense plexus of DA‐immunoreactive (IR) varicose fibers was found not only in the cell body area of the LC but also in the dendritic area. Three hundred and forty DA‐IR terminal boutons were observed. They were distributed in a wide range of diameters of 0.1–1.8 μm but most of them were large (mean value: 0.98 μm). Sixty‐nine percent formed an asymmetric synapse. There were many axo‐spinous connections. Small dendrites less than 0.3 μm in diameter displaying synaptic specialization were mostly dendritic spines (75%). Most of the target dendrites seemed to be noradrenergic in nature. It is suggested that dopaminergic innervation may play a powerful role in control mechanisms of activity of NA‐containing neurons of the LC. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.