Effect of disulfiram on the ultrastructure of the peptidergic and aminergic cells in the pars intercerebralis of Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera).

Injection of disulfiram, a specific inhibitor of noradrenaline synthesis, evokes changes in two different types of neurons in the brain of Galleria mellonella: neurones containing dense-core vesicles (60-80 nm) and peptidergic cells containing 180-200 nm neurosecretory granules. The lowering of the electron density of the dense-core vesicles of 60-80 nm seems to be directly connected with disulfiram administration, while the decrease of the amount of neurosecretory material in the neurosecretory cells of type I seems to be a secondary effect of the drug injection. The participation of noradrenaline in the regulation of the secretory activity of type I peptidergic neurosecretory cells of the pars intercerebralis is postulated.