[Cholinergic neurons in chronically isolated associative cortical slab of the cat]

A histochemical acetylcholinesterase reaction has been used to find a few short-axon and long-axon cholinergic interneurons in the chronically isolated associative cortical slab of the cat three weeks after its isolation. Short-axon neurons are located in layers II-VI and are medium-sized and mainly spindle shaped. Their axons form synaptic terminals on the pyramidal and stellate neurons of the isolated slab. Characteristic location of cholinergic terminals on the soma and proximal parts of dendrites of cholinoceptive neurons is observed. Pyramidal cholinoceptive cells are attributed to non-cholinergic neuron type, while stellate cholinoceptive neurons may be both the cholinergic and the non-cholinergic ones. Long-axon cholinergic interneurons of various shape and size are distributed in layers I and VI. Axons of these cells establish intracortical connections beyond the isolated slab and run within the fibres of the first and subcortical layers.