Simultaneous characterization of pre- and postsynaptic neuron contact sites in brain.

The combined application of electron microscopic study of nerve degeneration and immunocytochemical techniques enables both pre- and postsynaptic structures of central nervous system synapses to be characterized simultaneously. Information obtained from a model experiment is presented to indicate the usefulness of the method. After the surgical transection of the ventral noradrenergic bundle in rats, degenerating boutons of brainstem axons were demonstrated on luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone-positive and adrenocorticotropic hormone-positive neurons in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus.