Divergent projections of catecholamine neurons of the locus coeruleus as revealed by fluorescent retrograde double labeling technique.

Divergent projections of catecholamine (CA) neurons of the locus coeruleus have been studied by fluorescent retrograde double labeling in conjunction with monoamine histofluorescence technique. The present results indicate that the coerulo-cortical CA system is composed of two types of neurons. A predominant type possesses few divergent axons innervating a restricted region, while the other type projects widely to various areas of the cerebral cortex. The existence of divergent axonal projections of single CA neurons in the locus coeruleus to the cerebellum and the spinal cord, to the frontal cortex and the cerebellum, is also demonstrated.