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Neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive synapses in the intermediolateral cell column of rat and rabbit thoracic spinal cord
I J Llewellyn-Smith1, J B Minson, D A Morilak
1Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Australia.
Abstract:
Neuropeptide Y (NPY)-immunoreactive nerve fibers in the intermediolateral cell column of rat spinal cord segments T2-T3 and T8-T10 and rabbit segments T3-T6 were studied with light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry. Plexuses of NPY-immunoreactive nerve fibers were found by light microscopy. NPY-positive synapses were present electron microscopically but non-immunoreactive synapses greatly outnumbered NPY-immunoreactive ones. In the lateral horn of rat T9, 30% of the vesicle-containing NPY-positive axon profiles formed synapses, 95% of which were axodendritic. These synaptic connections may mediate the effects of brainstem NPY neurons on the activity of sympathetic preganglionic neurons.