Quantified regional and laminar distribution of the noradrenaline innervation in the anterior half of the adult rat cerebral cortex

Journal Article · Mon Aug 15 04:00:00 EDT 1988 · J. Comp. Neurol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.902740302· OSTI ID:6464797

Audet, M A; Doucet, G; Oleskevich, S; Descarries, L

The regional and laminar distribution of the noradrenaline (NA) innervation in the adult rat cerebral cortex was quantified in radioautographs of semithin sections from whole hemisphere slices incubated with tritiated catecholamines and a monoamine oxidase inhibitor. Uptake-labeled axonal varicosities (aggregates of silver grains) were counted with the help of a computerized image analyzer in seven cytoarchitectonic areas of the rostral half of the cortex: Cg3, rostral AID, Cg2, Fr1, Par1, caudal AID, and Pir (prepiriform) according to Zilles's nomenclature. Both dopamine (DA) and NA terminals were detected after incubation with (3H)DA and citalopram or with (3H)NA alone. In the presence of desipramine (DMI), DA terminals alone were demonstrated; the number of NA terminals was then obtained by subtraction from counts in adjacent slices incubated with or without DMI. These counts suggested that DA and NA varicosities were fully visualized only after labeling with their respective tritiated amine. Similar numbers of labeled NA varicosities as inferred after (3H)NA incubation with or without DMI were observed after (3H)NA incubation in the presence of benztropine (BZ). This indicated that NA terminals were then maximally detected to the exclusion of the DA ones, and the latter approach was adopted for the acquisition of normative data. Since the average diameter of the labeled NA varicosities was known from earlier measurements in electron microscope radioautographs, the initial counts of labeled sites/mm2 of histological section could be expressed as numbers of varicosities/mm3 of tissue following a double correction for incomplete detection at the chosen duration of radioautographic exposure and section thickness.

• Research Organization: Universite de Montreal (Canada)
• OSTI ID: 6464797
• Journal Information: J. Comp. Neurol.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Comp. Neurol.; (United States) Vol. 274:3; ISSN JCNEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550201* -- Biochemistry-- Tracer Techniques
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ADRENAL HORMONES
AMINES
ANIMALS
AROMATICS
AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AGENTS
AUTORADIOGRAPHY
BODY
BRAIN
CARDIOTONICS
CARDIOVASCULAR AGENTS
CATECHOLAMINES
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
CEREBRAL CORTEX
CEREBRUM
DISTRIBUTION
DOPAMINE
DRUGS
ENZYME INHIBITORS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
IN VITRO
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MAMMALS
NERVOUS SYSTEM
NEUROREGULATORS
NORADRENALINE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PHENOLS
POLYPHENOLS
RATS
RODENTS
SUBCELLULAR DISTRIBUTION
SYMPATHOMIMETICS
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
VERTEBRATES