[Types of neurons in the visual cortex of the rat, identified in Nissl- and deimpregnated Golgi preparations].

Neuronal types of the rat's visual cortex were identified in Nissl stained and deimpregnated Golgi sections (rapid Golgi method modified by Fairén et al. 1977, Golgi-Bubenaite, Golgi-Kopsch and modified by Braitenberg; deimpregnation after FAIREN et al. 1977 and Braak and Braak 1982, respectively). Cytoplasm and nucleus become visible in deimpregnated neurons and can then be counter-stained with methylene blue or toluidin blue. Somal and nuclear features of Nissl stained and deimpregnated neurons were compared. Provided that these features as well as the specific localization, the relative size and the shape of the soma agree the neurons are identical. We could find that the following neuronal types are identical in Golgi and Nissl stained sections: pyramidal cells of layers II-VI, pyramid-like neurons of layers VI and VII (VIa, b, c) (type C, Werner et al. 1982), multiangular neurons of layer I (type A, Werner et al. 1982), spiny stellate cells of layer IV, sparsely spined neurons with ascending axons (Martinotti cells) (type H, Werner et al. 1982), large and medium-sized spine-free, multipolar neurons (basket cells) (type B, Werner et al. 1982). Bipolar neurons and chandelier cells are identical with neurons poor in cytoplasm (types E, F, G, Werner et al. 1982). Until today two neuronal types could not be identified: type D of L I (Werner et al. 1982) and small, sparsely-spined neurons of layer IV with variable axons (Hedlich and Winkelmann 1982; Hedlich et al. 1984). Characteristics of somata, dendrites and axons of neurons identified in this paper are summarized in table 1. In most cases, these findings confirm earlier suppositions concerning the identity of neuronal types of the rat's visual cortex in Golgi and Nissl stained sections (Werner et al. 1979) and verify the values of their frequency and distribution pattern (Werner et al. 1982).