Bergquist F, Ludwig M
Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
J Neuroendocrinol. 2008 Jun;20(6):677-86. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2008.01714.x.
Information flow through neurones was historically considered to be linear, with dendrites receiving information from incoming synaptic terminals, the soma processing the information and the axon carrying it to the terminal that synapses upon another cell or end organ. However, recent studies have shown that dendrites can release transmitters themselves, and thereby communicate with neighbouring structures, whether these are adjacent neurones or incoming synapses. Due to their anatomical features, the magnocellular vasopressin and oxytocin containing neurones of the hypothalamic supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei and the dopamine neurones of the substantia nigra have revealed important aspects of dendritic function including mechanisms of dendritic transmitter release.
历史上，人们认为神经元中的信息流是线性的，树突从传入的突触终末接收信息，胞体处理信息，轴突将信息传递至与另一个细胞或终末器官形成突触的终末。然而，最近的研究表明，树突自身也能释放递质，从而与相邻结构进行交流，无论这些相邻结构是相邻的神经元还是传入的突触。由于其解剖学特征，下丘脑视上核和室旁核中含大细胞加压素和催产素的神经元以及黑质中的多巴胺能神经元，揭示了树突功能的重要方面，包括树突递质释放机制。
