Summary
Using specific antisera against the catecholamine synthesizing enzyme, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), in combination with the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method and/or the avidin-biotin complex method, we have found a new group of TH immunoreactive (TH-I) neurons in the rat cerebral cortex. Numerous TH-I cells were observed all over the isocortex, that is, frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital regions, and in some parts of the allocortex such as the anterior cingulate cortex, the retrosplenial cortex and anterior part of the insular cortex. In contrast, they were rare in the perirhinal cortex, posterior part of the insular cortex, piriform cortex, entorhinal cortex and hippocampal formation. TH-I cells were situated throughout all cortical layers, but were most concentrated in layer II/III. Although TH-I cells were heterogeneous in shape, the majority were bipolar. All TH-I cells so far examined appeared to be of the nonpyramidal type. The majority of these intrinsic TH-I neurons also contained the GABA-like immunoreactivity and thus could be regarded as a subpopulation of cortical GABAergic neurons.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Björklund A, Lindvall O (1984) Dopamine-containing systems in the CNS. In: Björklund A, Hökfelt T (eds) Handbook of chemical neuroanatomy, Vol 2. Classical transmitters in the CNS, Part I. Elsevier/North-Holland, Amsterdam, pp 55–122
Celio MR (1986) Parvalbumin in most γ-aminobutyric acid-containing neurons of the rat cerebral cortex. Science 231: 995–997
Dahlström A, Fuxe K (1964) Evidence for the existence of monoamine-containing neurons in the central nervous system. I. Demonstration of monoamines in the cell bodies of brain stem neurons. Acta Physiol Scand 63 Suppl 232: 5–55
Emson PC, Hunt SP (1984) Peptide-containing neurons of the cerebral cortex. In: Jones EG, Peters A (eds) Cerebral cortex, Vol 2. Functional properties of cortical cells. Plenum Press, New York, pp 145–169
Feldman ML, Peters A (1978) The forms of non-pyramidal neurons in the visual cortex of the rat. J Comp Neurol 179: 761–794
Hökfelt T, Fuxe K, Johansson O, Ljungdahl A (1974) Pharmaco-histochemical evidence of the existence of dopamine nerve terminals in the limbic cortex. Eur J Pharmacol 25: 108–112
Hökfelt T, Johansson O, Fuxe K, Goldstein M, Park D (1976) Immunohistochemical studies on the localization and distribution of monoamine neuron systems in the rat brain. I. Tyrosine hydroxylase in the mes- and diencephalon. Med Biol 54: 427–453
Hökfelt T, Johansson O, Fuxe K, Goldstein M, Park D (1977) Immunohistochemical studies on the localization and distribution of monoamine neuron systems in the rat brain. II. Tyrosine hydroxylase in the telencephalon. Med Biol 55: 21–40
Hökfelt T, Johansson O, Goldstein M (1984a) Central catecholamine neurons as revealed by immunohistochemistry with special reference to adrenaline neurons. In: Björklund A, Hökfelt T (eds) Handbook of chemical neuroanatomy, Vol 2. Classical transmitters in the CNS, Part I. Elsevier/North-Holland, Amsterdam, pp 157–276
Hökfelt T, Martensson R, Björklund A, Kleinau S, Goldstein M (1984b) Distribution maps of tyrosine-hydroxylase-immunoreactive neurons in the rat brain. In: Björklund A, Hökfelt T (eds) Handbook of chemical neuroanatomy, Vol 2. Classical transmitters in the CNS, Part I. Elsevier/North-Holland, Amsterdam, pp 277–379
Houser CR, Crawford GD, Salvaterra PM, Vaughn JE (1985) Immunocytochemical localization of choline acetyltransferase in rat cerebral cortex: a study of cholinergic neurons and synapses. J Comp Neurol 234: 17–34
Houser CR, Vaughn JE, Hendry SHC, Jones EG, Peters A (1984) GABA neurons in the cerebral cortex. In: Jones EG, Peters A (eds) Cerebral cortex, Vol 2. Functional properties of cortical cells. Plenum Press, New York, pp 63–89
Hsu S-M, Raine L, Fanger H (1981) Use of avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex (ABC) in immunoperoxidase techniques: a comparison between ABC and unlabeled antibody (PAP) procedures. J Histochem Cytochem 29: 577–580
Ichikawa T, Hirata Y (1986) Organization of choline acetyltransferase-containing structures in the forebrain of the rat. J Neurosci 6: 281–292
Jaeger CB, Ruggiero DA, Albert VR, Job TH, Reis DJ (1984) Immunocytochemical localization of aromatic-L-aminoacid decarboxylase. In: Björklund A, Hökfelt T (eds) Handbook of chemical neuroanatomy, Vol 2. Classical transmitters in the CNS, Part 1. Elsevier/North-Holland, Amsterdam, pp 387–408
Jones EG, Hendry SHC (1986) Co-localization of GABA and neuropeptides in neocortical neurons. Trends Neurosci 9: 71–76
Köhler C, Everitt BJ, Pearson J, Goldstein M (1983) Immunohistochemical evidence for a new group of catecholamine-containing neurons in the basal forebrain of the monkey. Neurosci Lett 37: 161–166
Kosaka T, Heizman CW, Tateishi K, Hamaoka Y, Hama K (1987a) An aspect of the organizational principle of the γ-aminobutyric acid-ergic system in the cerebral cortex. Brain Res 409: 403–408
Kosaka T, Kosaka K, Hataguchi Y, Nagatsu I, Wu J-Y, Ottersen OP, Storm-Mathisen J, Hama K (1987b) Catecholaminergic neurons containing GABA-like and/or glutamic acid decarboxylase-like immunoreactivities in various brain regions of the rat. Exp Brain Res 66: 191–210
Kosaka T, Nagatsu I, Wu J-Y, Hama K (1986) Use of high concentrations of glutaraldehyde for immunocytochemistry of transmitter-synthesizing enzymes in the central nervous system. Neuroscience 18: 975–990
Levey AI, Wainer BH, Rye DB, Mufson EJ, Mesulam M-M (1984) Choline acetyltransferase-immunoreactive neurons intrinsic to rodent cortex and distinction from acetylcholinesterase-positive neurons. Neuroscience 13: 341–353
Lidbrink P, Jonsson G, Fuxe K (1974) Selective reserpine-resistant accumulation of catecholamines in central dopamine neurons after DOPA administration. Brain Res 67: 439–456
Nagatsu I (1983) Immunohistocytochemistry of biogenic amines and immunoenzyme-histocytochemistry of catecholamine-synthesizing enzymes. Application for axoplasmic transport and neuronal localization. In: Parvez S, Nagatsu T, Nagatsu I, Parvez H (eds) Methods in biogenic amine research. Elsevier/North-Holland, Amsterdam, pp 873–909
Paxinos G, Watson C (1982) The rat brain in stereotaxic coordinates. Academic Press, New York
Somogyi P, Hodgson AJ, Smith AD, Nunzi MG, Gorio A, Wu JY (1984) Different populations of GABAergic neurons in the visual cortex and hippocampus of cat contain somatostatinor cholecystokinin-immunoreactive material. J Neurosci 4: 2590–2603
Sternberger LA (1979) Immunocytochemistry (2nd edn) Wiley, New York
Thierry AM, Blanc G, Sobel A, Stinus L, Glowinski J (1973a) Dopaminergic terminals in the rat cortex. Science 182: 499–501
Thierry AM, Stinus L, Blanc G, Glowinski J (1973b) Some evidence for the existence of dopaminergic neurons in the rat cortex. Brain Res 50: 230–234
Vogt BA, Peters A (1981) Form and distribution of neurons in rat cingulate cortex: areas 32, 24, and 29. J Comp Neurol 195: 603–625
Zilles K (1985) The cortex of the rat, a stereotaxic atlas. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York Tokyo
Zilles K, Wree A (1985) Cortex: areal and laminar structure. In: Paxinos G (ed) The rat nervous system, Vol 1. Forebrain and midbrain. Academic Press, Australia, pp 375–415
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kosaka, T., Hama, K. & Nagatsu, I. Tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive intrinsic neurons in the rat cerebral cortex. Exp Brain Res 68, 393–405 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00248804
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00248804