Taquet H, Javoy-Agid F, Cesselin F, Hamon M, Legrand J C, Agid Y
Brain Res. 1982 Mar 11;235(2):303-14. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(82)91009-5.
The topographical distributions of Met-enkephalin, dopamine and noradrenaline were determined in serial frontal sections of human substantia nigra (pars compacta and pars reticulata) and ventral tegmental area. Met-enkephalin was identified by Biogel and thin layer chromatography and assayed by a specific radioimmunoassay. In the substantia nigra (pars compacta and pars reticulata), the levels of Met-enkephalin increased progressively from the rostral to the caudal part of the structure. This pattern closely resembled that of dopamine levels, particularly in the pars compacta. Noradrenaline levels in the substantia nigra and those of Met-enkephalin, dopamine, and noradrenaline in the ventral tegmental area, exhibited only limited fluctuations from the anterior to the posterior part of each structure. Highly significant decreases in Met-enkephalin, dopamine and noradrenaline levels were observed in the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area of Parkinsonian brains. This observation, together with the close topographical association of dopamine and Met-enkephalin in the substantia nigra, further supports the likely existence of important functional relationships between dopaminergic and enkephalinergic neurons in the human brain.
在人脑黑质（致密部和网状部）及腹侧被盖区的系列额叶切片中，测定了甲硫氨酸脑啡肽、多巴胺和去甲肾上腺素的分布情况。甲硫氨酸脑啡肽通过生物凝胶和薄层色谱法鉴定，并用特异性放射免疫分析法进行测定。在黑质（致密部和网状部）中，甲硫氨酸脑啡肽水平从该结构的嘴侧到尾侧逐渐升高。这种模式与多巴胺水平的模式非常相似，尤其是在致密部。黑质中的去甲肾上腺素水平以及腹侧被盖区中甲硫氨酸脑啡肽、多巴胺和去甲肾上腺素的水平，在每个结构的前部到后部仅表现出有限的波动。在帕金森病患者的大脑黑质和腹侧被盖区，观察到甲硫氨酸脑啡肽、多巴胺和去甲肾上腺素水平显著降低。这一观察结果，连同黑质中多巴胺和甲硫氨酸脑啡肽在地形学上的紧密联系，进一步支持了人脑多巴胺能神经元和脑啡肽能神经元之间可能存在重要功能关系的观点。
