Characterization of neurons containing nerve growth factor receptors in the rat neostriatum

Using a sensitive immunohistochemical procedure, the normal morphology and distribution of neurons containing the nerve growth factor receptors (NGF-R) have been studied in the caudate-putamen of the adult rat brain, and the findings compared with observations on the choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-positive neurons present in the immediately adjacent sections. The ChAT immunoreaction product was uniformly distributed on the cell bodies, while the NGF-R immunoreaction end product was present also as intensely stained granules (0.06-0.12 micron diameter) on the cell somata and the dendrites. In the NGF-R-positive neurons the intensity of the reaction product was much weaker than the ChAT immunoreactivity. Moreover, in comparison with ChAT-immunopositive cells, the proportion of the NGF-R-immunoreactive neurons was on average about 15% in the neostriatum.