Armstrong D M, Pickel V M, Joh T H, Reis D J, Miller R J
J Comp Neurol. 1981 Mar 1;196(3):505-17. doi: 10.1002/cne.901960312.
The catecholaminergic and peptidergic neurons in the area postrema and adjacent portion of the medial nucleus tractus solitarii (mNTS) were characterized by the immunocytochemical localization of the catecholamine synthesizing enzymes tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) and phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase (PNMT) and two neuropeptides, substance P and (Leu5)-enkephalin. The catecholamine synthesizing enzymes TH and DBH, found jointly only in noradrenergic and adrenergic neurons, were localized in cells having a similar morphology and topographical distribution. These cells were located throughout the rostrocaudal and dorsoventral extent of the area postrema, as well as in neurons within the mNTS. The processes showing TH and DBH immunoreactivity appear to form reciprocal connections between the area postrema and mNTS. Phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase, the enzymatic marker found only in adrenergic neurons, was detected immunocytochemically in terminals distributed throughout the area postrema and in neuronal perikarya and varicosities within the adjacent mNTS. Like the catecholamine synthesizing enzymes TH and DBH, enkephalin-like immunoreactivity was localized to perikarya, proximal processes and varicose axon terminals within the area postrema and the adjacent mNTS. However, in contrast to the widespread distribution of the enzymes, the enkephalin-like immunoreactivity was localized predominantly along the dorsal and ventrolateral margins of the area postrema. The distribution of substance P immunoreactivity, which was detected only in varicose processes, paralleled the distribution of enkephalin-like immunoreactivity, being predominantly located along the dorsal and ventrolateral margins of the area postrema. Within the mNTS adjacent to the area postrema, substance P immunoreactivity was localized to neuronal perikarya, proximal processes and varicose axon terminals. Based upon the presence of appropriate biosynthetic enzyme markers and neuropeptide localization, these findings suggest that neurons within the area postrema contain noradrenalin and enkephalin and that the afferent axons contain substance P, adrenalin and, probably, noradrenalin.
通过对儿茶酚胺合成酶酪氨酸羟化酶（TH）、多巴胺-β-羟化酶（DBH）和苯乙醇胺-N-甲基转移酶（PNMT）以及两种神经肽P物质和亮氨酸脑啡肽进行免疫细胞化学定位，对最后区以及孤束核内侧部（mNTS）相邻部分的儿茶酚胺能和肽能神经元进行了特征描述。儿茶酚胺合成酶TH和DBH仅共同存在于去甲肾上腺素能和肾上腺素能神经元中，它们定位于形态和拓扑分布相似的细胞中。这些细胞分布于最后区的整个前后和背腹范围，以及mNTS内的神经元中。显示TH和DBH免疫反应性的突起似乎在最后区和mNTS之间形成了相互连接。苯乙醇胺-N-甲基转移酶是仅在肾上腺素能神经元中发现的酶标志物，通过免疫细胞化学在分布于整个最后区的终末以及相邻mNTS内的神经元胞体和曲张体中检测到。与儿茶酚胺合成酶TH和DBH一样，脑啡肽样免疫反应性定位于最后区和相邻mNTS内的胞体、近端突起和曲张轴突终末。然而，与这些酶的广泛分布不同，脑啡肽样免疫反应性主要定位于最后区的背侧和腹外侧边缘。仅在曲张突起中检测到的P物质免疫反应性分布与脑啡肽样免疫反应性分布平行，主要位于最后区的背侧和腹外侧边缘。在与最后区相邻的mNTS内，P物质免疫反应性定位于神经元胞体、近端突起和曲张轴突终末。基于适当的生物合成酶标志物的存在和神经肽定位，这些发现表明最后区内的神经元含有去甲肾上腺素和脑啡肽，传入轴突含有P物质、肾上腺素，可能还有去甲肾上腺素。
