Further analysis of presence of peptides in dopamine neurons. Cholecystokinin, peptide histidine-isoleucine/vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and substance P in rat supramammillary region and mesencephalon.

Double-labeling combined with elution-restaining immunofluorescence techniques were used to analyze the extent of coexistence among the peptides cholecystokinin (CCK), peptide histidine-isoleucine (PHI)/vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), substance P and the catecholamine-synthesizing enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase in neurons of the supramammillary region and mesencephalon of the rat. Approximately 50% of the PHI/VIP-containing perikarya and about 25% of the CCK-positive cell bodies in the supramammillary region exhibited coexistence of both peptides. Only a very minor portion of these double-labeled neurons were also found to contain immunostaining for tyrosine hydroxylase (indicative of dopamine in these cells). A low percentage of the neurons contained the enzyme plus either CCK- or PHI/VIP-like immunoreactivity. A low proportion of the tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons in this region contained substance P-like immunoreactivity and vice versa. In other areas, small numbers of neurons in periventricular and periaqueductal regions were found to be immunostained for CCK, PHI/VIP and tyrosine hydroxylase. Single examples of triple-labeled (CCK-PHI/VIP-TH) somata were infrequently observed in the ventral tegmental area. These data provide further evidence of peptide/peptide and peptide/monoamine coexistence in the central nervous system. The demonstration of CCK-PHI/VIP colocalization (possibly including a minor dopaminergic component) and of substance P and tyrosine hydroxylase coexistence within neurons of the supramammillary region, which has widespread projections to many areas of the forebrain, suggests that these neuropeptides may coexist in some of these pathways and perhaps be co-released in several different regions of the brain.