Topography of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase staining neurons in rat striatum.

A new modification of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-diaphorase reaction was used to study the distribution of a specific subset of neurons in rat striatum. These neurons are known to also contain somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SLI). We have previously found a heterogeneous distribution of SLI in rat striatum. In the present study, we found NADPH-diaphorase neurons to be evenly distributed throughout the striatum and nucleus accumbens. There was no increase in the number of NADPH-diaphorase neurons in ventromedial striatum or nucleus accumbens where concentrations of SLI are highest. This suggests that there may be somatostatin afferents to ventromedial striatum and nucleus accumbens. In addition, the NADPH-diaphorase reaction was stable for up to 24 h in an animal model stimulating human autopsy conditions.