Transmitters of the raphe-spinal complex: immunocytochemical studies

The localization of serotonergic and various peptidergic neurons in the medullary raphe nuclei that project to the lumbosacral spinal cord have been studied using a retrograde transport method combined with immunocytochemistry. Spinally projecting neurons stained for serotonin-like, substance P-like, enkephalin-like and thyrotropin-releasing hormone-like immunoreactivity were all observed in the raphe nuclei of the medulla, as well as in the adjacent ventrolateral reticular formation. The distribution of the descending serotonergic and peptidergic neurons in the raphe nuclei as well as quantitative data on their relative numbers suggest that a large fraction of raphe-spinal neurons contain serotonin co-existing with one or more peptides in the same cell.