Anterograde and retrograde axonal transport of Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA-L) from the globus pallidus to the striatum of the rat.

Iontophoretic administration of PHA-L into the globus pallidus of rats resulted in the labeling of neuronal perikarya in the striatum as well as axons and terminals in the striatum, entopeduncular nucleus, subthalamus and substantia nigra. The labeled striatal perikarya were densely stained in Golgi fashion with virtually complete filling of the dendrites and spines. It is concluded that the striatal cells were filled by the retrograde transport of PHA-L and represent either striatopallidal cells, or striatonigral cells whose axons were interrupted as they passed through the injection site. The anterogradely labeled axon terminals in the striatum were observed in close apposition to the dendrites of the retrogradely labeled neurons suggesting the existence of synaptic contacts between the two groups of cells. This study demonstrates that PHA-L can be transported retrogradely as well as anterogradely following iontophoretic injections.