Iijima K, Ohtomo K
Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Akita University, Japan.
Am J Anat. 1988 Jan;181(1):43-52. doi: 10.1002/aja.1001810106.
The localization of GABA-like immunoreactivity in the locus ceruleus of rats was studied by the peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) method using a purified antibody raised against GABA applied to paraffin sections, with counterstaining by cresylecht violet, and to floating sections for preembedding immunoelectron microscopy. A few medium-sized and some small neurons showed GABA-like immunoreactivity in both nuclei and perikarya. The preferential localization of these immunopositive neurons in the marginal parts of the locus ceruleus suggests that they are inhibitory local circuit neurons located between this center and the afferent fiber systems. Some of the immunoreactive neurons displayed homogeneous and heterogeneous "paired cells" patterns. Occurrence of the GABA-GABA interaction is indicated. Immunopositive bouton forms are located close to every positive and negative neuron. Electron microscopy confirms GABA-like immunoreactivity in both medium-sized and small neurons of the locus ceruleus and demonstrates that immunoreactive boutons are axosomatic and axosoma spine symmetric synapses on immunopositive and immunonegative cell bodies. These immunocytochemical results support the existence of inhibitory interneurons in the locus ceruleus.
采用过氧化物酶-抗过氧化物酶（PAP）法，使用针对γ-氨基丁酸（GABA）制备的纯化抗体，对石蜡切片进行染色，并用甲酚紫复染，同时对漂浮切片进行包埋前免疫电子显微镜观察，研究了大鼠蓝斑中GABA样免疫反应性的定位。少数中型神经元和一些小型神经元在细胞核和胞体中均显示出GABA样免疫反应性。这些免疫阳性神经元在蓝斑边缘部分的优先定位表明，它们是位于该中枢与传入纤维系统之间的抑制性局部回路神经元。一些免疫反应性神经元呈现出均匀和不均匀的“配对细胞”模式。这表明存在GABA-GABA相互作用。免疫阳性终扣形式位于每个阳性和阴性神经元附近。电子显微镜证实蓝斑的中型和小型神经元中均存在GABA样免疫反应性，并表明免疫反应性终扣是免疫阳性和免疫阴性细胞体上的轴-体和轴-体棘对称突触。这些免疫细胞化学结果支持蓝斑中存在抑制性中间神经元。
