Valentino R J, Page M, Van Bockstaele E, Aston-Jones G
Department of Mental Health Science, Hahnemann University, Philadelphia, PA 19102.
Neuroscience. 1992;48(3):689-705. doi: 10.1016/0306-4522(92)90412-u.
Electrophysiologic studies support the hypothesis that corticotropin-releasing factor, the neurohormone that initiates adrenocorticotropin release during stress, also serves as a neurotransmitter in the pontine noradrenergic nucleus, the locus coeruleus. To elucidate the circuitry underlying proposed corticotropin-releasing factor neurotransmission in the locus coeruleus, the present study utilized immunohistochemical techniques to characterize corticotropin-releasing factor innervation of rat locus coeruleus and pericoerulear regions. Corticotropin-releasing factor-like immunoreactive fibers were identified in the locus coeruleus of colchicine- and non-colchicine-treated rats. However, corticotropin-releasing factor innervation of pericoerulear regions rostral and lateral to the locus coeruleus was more dense than that of the locus coeruleus proper. Double-labeling studies utilizing antisera directed against corticotropin-releasing factor and tyrosine hydroxylase indicated that corticotropin-releasing factor-like immunoreactive fibers overlap with tyrosine hydroxylase-like immunoreactive processes of locus coeruleus neurons, particularly in rostral medial and lateral regions. A group of corticotropin-releasing factor-like immunoreactive neurons was localized just lateral to the locus coeruleus and numerous corticotropin-releasing factor-like immunoreactive neurons were visualized just ventral to the rostral pole of the locus coeruleus in a region corresponding to Barrington's nucleus. None of these corticotropin-releasing factor-like immunoreactive neurons were tyrosine hydroxylase-positive. To determine the source of corticotropin-releasing factor-like immunoreactive fibers in the locus coeruleus, injections of the retrograde tracer [wheat germ agglutinin conjugated to inactivated (apo) horseradish peroxidase coupled to gold particles] were made into the locus coeruleus and sections were processed for corticotropin-releasing factor-like immunoreactivity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
电生理研究支持这样一种假说，即促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子，这种在应激期间启动促肾上腺皮质激素释放的神经激素，在脑桥去甲肾上腺素能核团蓝斑中也作为一种神经递质发挥作用。为了阐明蓝斑中所提出的促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子神经传递的潜在神经回路，本研究利用免疫组织化学技术来表征大鼠蓝斑和蓝斑周围区域的促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子神经支配情况。在秋水仙碱处理和未处理的大鼠蓝斑中均鉴定出了促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子样免疫反应性纤维。然而，蓝斑前方和外侧的蓝斑周围区域的促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子神经支配比蓝斑本身更为密集。利用针对促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子和酪氨酸羟化酶的抗血清进行的双重标记研究表明，促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子样免疫反应性纤维与蓝斑神经元的酪氨酸羟化酶样免疫反应性过程重叠，特别是在前方内侧和外侧区域。一组促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子样免疫反应性神经元定位于蓝斑外侧，并且在与巴林顿核相对应的区域，在蓝斑头端极腹侧可见大量促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子样免疫反应性神经元。这些促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子样免疫反应性神经元均无酪氨酸羟化酶阳性。为了确定蓝斑中促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子样免疫反应性纤维的来源，将逆行示踪剂[与结合了金颗粒的失活（脱辅基）辣根过氧化物酶偶联的小麦胚芽凝集素]注射到蓝斑中，并对切片进行促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子样免疫反应性处理。（摘要截短于250字）
