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THERE ARE FEW CATECHOLAMINE‐ OR NEUROPEPTIDE Y‐CONTAINING SYNAPSES IN THE INTERMEDIOLATERAL CELL COLUMN OF RAT THORACIC SPINAL CORD
Author(s) -
LlewellynSmith Ida J.,
Minson Jane B.,
Pilowsky Paul M.,
Chalmers John P.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
clinical and experimental pharmacology and physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1440-1681
pISSN - 0305-1870
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1681.1991.tb01418.x
Subject(s) - neuropeptide y receptor , spinal cord , catecholamine , phenylethanolamine , synapse , tyrosine hydroxylase , biology , neuroscience , chemistry , neuropeptide , anatomy , dopamine , medicine , endocrinology , biochemistry , receptor
SUMMARY 1. A quantitative electron microscopic immunocytochemical technique was used to assess the number of synapses immunoreactive for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), phenylethanolamine N ‐methyltransferase (PNMT) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the intermediolateral cell column in segments T2 and T3 of rat thoracic spinal cord. 2. TH synapses comprised about 5%; PNMT synapses 1–2%; and NPY synapses 1–2% of the total number of synapses in the intermediolateral cell column. All three types of synapses were predominantly or exclusively on dendrites. 3. Our results suggest that catecholamine/NPY neurons may not provide a major synaptic input to sympathetic preganglionic neurons in rat upper thoracic spinal cord.