Biochemical mapping of the noradrenergic projection from the locus coeruleus. A model for studies of brain neuronal pathways.

Mapping of the noradrenergic projection from neurons in the rat locus coeruleus has been examined by combining a sensitive radioisotopic assay for catecholamines with a microdissection technique to remove multiple separate brain nuclei. The effect of a unilateral locus coeruleus lesion on norepinephrine concentration in 19 brain regions ipsilateral and contralateral to the lesion was determined. Evidence for ipsilateral and bilateral innervation to specific regions is presented, and many regions appear to receive combined innervation from other noradrenergic loci, in addition to that from the locus coeruleus. Fluorescence rating was correlated with biochemical measurement of amine content with these techniques and proportionality was observed over a narrow range. With this proportionality taken into consideration, mapping results obtained by biochemical and fluorescence methods are compared.