Substance P in the rat nucleus accumbens: ultrastructural localization in axon terminals and their relation to dopaminergic afferents.

Dual labeling electron microscopic immunocytochemistry was used to investigate the cellular substrate for functional interactions between substance P (SP) and dopamine in the rat nucleus accumbens. Coronal vibratome sections from acrolein-fixed brains were sequentially processed for the localization of: (1) a rat monoclonal antiserum against SP identified by the peroxidase--anti-peroxidase immunocytochemical method, and (2) a rabbit polyclonal antiserum against tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) identified by immunoautoradiography. The monoclonal rat antiserum recognized principally SP, but also exhibited cross-reactivity with certain other tachykinins such as substance K. Terminals showing SP-like immunoreactivity (SPLI) were 0.2-1.5 microns in diameter and contained numerous small (30-40 nm), round vesicles; one or more large (80-150 nm), dense-core vesicles; and an occasional membrane-bound multivesicular body. From a total of 114 SP-labeled terminals that were quantitatively analyzed, 30.1% formed symmetric synapses with dendrites; whereas only 8% formed asymmetric junctions with dendritic spines. Terminals showing SPLI also occasionally formed junctions with dendrites receiving synaptic input from other terminals that were similarly labeled for the peptide or from terminals immunoautoradiographically labeled for TH. In contrast to the low frequency of postsynaptic relationships, 39.8% of the terminals containing SPLI showed close associations with other unlabeled or TH-labeled terminal or preterminal axons. The axonic contacts were characterized by equally spaced membranes that were not separated by glial processes. Within the terminals containing SPLI, vesicles were located near the axonic contacts; whereas vesicles in unlabeled terminals were located more distally with respect to these appositions. We conclude that in the rat nucleus accumbens SP or a closely related tachykinin subserves principally inhibitory functions at postsynaptic sites as indicated by the prominence of symmetric junctions. The abundance of axonic associations and sparsity of convergent input from TH- and SP-labeled terminals at closely spaced sites on dendrites supports the concepts that a SP-like tachykinin also may modulate the release of dopamine through direct or indirect presynaptic mechanisms. The possibility that there may be more extensive postsynaptic associations through convergence at widely spaced sites on common neurons is discussed.