Evidence for a long Leu-enkephalin striopallidal pathway in rat brain

Influence of a single injection of cocaine, amphetamine or GBR 12909 on mRNA expression of striatal neuropeptides

The acute and long-term effects of a single injection of psychomotor stimulants (amphetamine (1.5 mg/kg i.p.), cocaine (30 mg/kg i.p.) and GBR 12909 (10 mg/kg i.p.)) were studied with in situ hybridization histochemistry to assess alterations in the mRNA expression of enkephalin, dynorphin and substance P in the striatum. The greatest alterations on mRNA levels of enkephalin, dynorphin and substance P were observed 2 h following the first administration of each drug compared to that observed following a second challenge injection 14 days later. Of the drugs tested, the dopamine uptake inhibitory agents cocaine and GBR 12909 acutely elevated mRNA levels of all three neuropeptides, while amphetamine elevated mRNA levels of substance P only. A second challenge administration of the stimulants 14 days subsequent to the initial single injection re-elevated the mRNA level of substance P. An overall tolerance is speculated to account for diminution of the enkephalin and dynorphin responses to a challenge injection while a relative sensitization is suggested for the enkephalin response due to a reduction in the baseline level of expression produced by the first injection. The data also show that there are regional variation within the striatum following systemic administration of psychomotor stimulants, with greater elevations in the sensorimotor dorsolateral striatum than in the ventromedial 'limbic' nucleus accumbens region.

Changes in D2 but not D1 receptor binding in the striatum following a selective lesion of striatopallidal neurons

We have used the immunotoxin OX7/saporin, a suicide transport agent, to selectively lesion striatopallidal neurons. Following injection of OX7/saporin into the globus pallidus, in situ hybridization for preproenkephalin mRNA was examined in the striatum to confirm successful retrograde neurotoxicity. Comparison of D1 and D2 receptor binding in the striatum demonstrated that D2 but not D1 receptor binding sites are localized to striatopallidal neurons.

Alteration in the levels of thyrotropin releasing hormone, substance P and enkephalins in the spinal cord, brainstem, hypothalamus and midbrain of the Wobbler mouse at different stages of the motoneuron disease

The present study was undertaken to quantify selected neuropeptides (thyrotropin releasing hormone, substance P, methionine and leucine enkephalin) in the cervical spinal cord and other regions of the central nervous system of Wobbler mice by radioimmunoassays during several stages of the motoneuron disease compared with age- and sex-matched normal phenotype littermates. In Wobbler spinal cord, thyrotropin releasing hormone is higher early in the disease, whereas in the brainstem it is higher at a later stage. Substance P in spinal cord is also higher late in the disease. Leucine enkephalin levels are greater at all stages in diseased spinal cord and brainstem, but methionine enkephalin increases only late in the disease. Highly significant increases of the peptides (except thyrotropin releasing hormone) appear in hypothalamus and midbrain only late in the motoneuron disease. Regression analyses show that thyrotropin releasing hormone in spinal cord and brainstem decreases normally with age in the control mice and at a faster rate related to the extent of motor impairment in Wobbler mice. Thyrotropin releasing hormone and methionine enkephalin in the Wobbler brainstem correlate (P less than 0.05) with the progress of the motoneuron disease. Methionine enkephalin increases faster in Wobbler brainstem and decreases faster in control spinal cord with age. The increase of leucine enkephalin in the Wobbler spinal cord correlates significantly with age and with the progress of the disease, but leucine enkephalin declines slightly with age in the controls. The changes of substance P in spinal cord and brainstem do not correlate significantly with the progress of the disease. In the hypothalamus, increasing values for substance P in control specimens and enkephalins in Wobbler specimens are significantly correlated with age. However, in the midbrain, higher methionine and leucine enkephalin levels are significantly associated with age only in the control mice. Alterations of neuropeptides in the Wobbler mouse spinal cord and brainstem may result from the degeneration of bulbospinal raphe neurons projecting to the ventral spinal cord, or from primary afferent or interneuronal nerve terminals. The data imply that the neuronal degeneration process in the Wobbler motoneuron disease is not limited to motoneurons. In the spinal cord, the data support our previous hypothesis that neuronal sprouting presynaptic to the motoneurons may account for increased neuropeptide concentrations. Alternatively, synthesis and/or degradation of these peptides may be altered. In addition, it is proposed that enkephalinergic neurons may develop abnormally in Wobbler mice. The early increase of leucine enkephalin in the Wobbler spinal cord possibly indicates its importance in the etiology of the motoneuron disease.

Quantitative light microscopic demonstration of increased pallidal and striatal met5-enkephalin-like immunoreactivity in rats following chronic treatment with haloperidol but not with clozapine: implications for the pathogenesis of neuroleptic-induced movement disorders

Acute and late onset movement disorders frequently complicate the treatment of psychosis with typical neuroleptic drugs like haloperidol, but not with atypical neuroleptic drugs like clozapine. Although the neural mechanisms underlying neuroleptic-induced movement disorders remain unknown, alterations in basal ganglia function are likely involved. A potential role for the endogenous opiate peptides in neuroleptic-induced movement disorders is suggested by the immunocytochemical localization of met5-enkephalin (ME) in the striatopallidal projection pathway, and by the increased levels of ME measured by radioimmunoassay in the rat caudate-putamen nuclei (CPN) following haloperidol treatment. We sought to determine whether met5-enkephalin-like immunoreactivity (MELI) in terminal fields within globus pallidus and in perikarya in CPN was differentially altered in rats chronically treated with haloperidol or clozapine. Acrolein-fixed forebrain sections were collected from cohorts of adult rats receiving 21-day oral administration of haloperidol, clozapine, or water. Sections from the three treatment groups were collectively processed for immunocytochemical labeling using varying dilutions of ME antiserum and the avidin-biotin peroxidase method. In globus pallidus, densitometry measures revealed significantly increased levels of immunoperoxidase labeling for ME in haloperidol-treated, but not in clozapine-treated animals. In CPN, optical densitometry as well as cell counting measurements also showed a significant increase in MELI only in the haloperidol-treated group. These results support the concept that alterations in endogenous opiate peptides in basal ganglia may contribute to movement disorders seen in patients receiving typical neuroleptic drugs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Analgesia induced by morphine injected into the pallidum

Bilateral microinjections of morphine hydrochloride (10; 20; 30 micrograms/0.5 microliter/side) or saline were aimed at three different regions of the rat globus pallidus: dorsal, medial, ventral. Before and at various intervals after intrapallidal morphine (15; 30; 60; 90; 180 min), estimation of pain threshold was made by the hot plate procedure. Dose-dependent morphine analgesia was elicited from all three regions injected. Differences between the pallidal areas as to the intensity and duration of the drug's effect were noticed. Pretreatment with subcutaneous naloxone (1 mg/kg, s.c.) inhibited the morphine (20 micrograms) analgesia elicited from the medial and dorsal pallidum; it decreased and delayed the effect of morphine injected into the ventral pallidum. The results suggest that the three pallidal areas tested are involved to a different degree (medial/dorsal greater than ventral) in the morphine analgesia mediated by opiate receptors.

Immunocytochemical survey of haloperidol-induced immunoreactive changes of [Met]enkephalin-Arg6-Gly7-Leu8 in the rat forebrain

It has already been demonstrated that chronic treatment with the dopamine receptor blocker, haloperidol, results in an increase of proenkephalin-A-derived peptides in the caudate-putamen (CP). To examine this phenomenon at the cellular level, we used immunocytochemistry to investigate the effects of haloperidol on [Met]enkephalin-Arg6-Gly7-Leu8 (MEAGL) immunoreactivity in the rat forebrain. After daily haloperidol (5 mg/kg, IP, for 6 days) or haloperidol decanoate (70 mg/kg, IM, given once or twice) treatment, immunoreactive neurons appeared diffusely in the whole CP and in the core part of the nucleus accumbens (Acb) and less frequently in the outer shell part of the Acb and the cell-dense layer of the tuberculum olfactorium (TuO). Increase of MEAGL-immunoreactive fibers in the CP, Acb, and TuO was also detected after these treatments, a particularly prominent increase being found in the striopallidal terminals in the globus pallidus and ventral pallidum. Haloperidol or haloperidol decanoate had no effect on MEAGL immunoreactivity in the cerebral cortex, amygdala, or hypothalamus. Reserpine treatment (5 mg/kg, IP, for 6 days) caused similar effects on the dorsal and ventral striopallidal system, and the direct injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (10 micrograms/5 microliters) into the CP led to the appearance of MEAGL-immunoreactive neurons in accordance with the depleted dopaminergic terminal area. These findings suggest that haloperidol influences enkephalinergic neurons region specifically and that in the dorsal and ventral striopallidal enkephalinergic system haloperidol increases MEAGL immunoreactivity in cell bodies, fibers, and terminals by blocking intrastriatal dopaminergic neurotransmission.

Pallidal substrate of morphine-induced locomotion

Bilateral microinjections of morphine hydrochloride (5.0; 7.5; 10.0 micrograms/0.5 microliters/side) or saline were infused into 3 different regions (dorsal, medial, ventral) of the rat globus pallidus, to examine their effects on locomotor activity. Locomotor activity of each rat was measured 45 min before and 90 min after saline or morphine pallidal microinjections. Morphine induced a dose-dependent increase in locomotion. This increase in locomotion was also significantly different between the 3 pallidal regions. Pretreatment with naloxone (1 mg/kg, sc) inhibited the morphine (7.5 micrograms) hyperlocomotion elicited from all three pallidal areas. The results suggest that the entire pallidum serves as substrate of morphine hyperlocomotion mediated by opiate receptors.

D2 dopaminergic regulation of striatal preproenkephalin mRNA levels is mediated at least in part through cholinergic interneurons

The effect of administration of the muscarinic antagonist scopolamine on the increase in striatal preproenkephalin (PPE) mRNA following a 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesion or chronic D2 dopamine (DA) antagonist treatment was examined by dot-blot hybridization. Administration of scopolamine dose-dependently attenuated the 6-OHDA lesion-induced increase in striatal PPE mRNA. Administration of the D2 DA antagonist eticlopride to naive rats increased striatal PPE mRNA in a dose- and time-dependent fashion. Chronic coadministration of scopolamine attenuated the eticlopride-induced increase in striatal PPE mRNA. Chronic administration of scopolamine alone did not alter striatal PPE mRNA levels. In contrast, chronic administration of eticlopride, scopolamine or the two combined decreased striatal preprotachykinin (PPT) mRNA to the same extent, suggesting that there was no direct interaction between D2 dopaminergic and cholinergic mechanisms in the regulation of striatal PPT mRNA. These data indicate that DA differentially regulates striatal PPE and PPT mRNA and suggest that dopaminergic regulation of striatal PPE mRNA is mediated in part through D2 DA effects on striatal cholinergic neurons.

Differential regulation of striatal preproenkephalin mRNA by D1 and D2 dopamine receptors

The effect of administration of subtype selective dopamine (DA) agonists on the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesion-induced increase of striatal preproenkephalin (PPE) mRNA was examined by dot-blot hybridization. Eight days following a unilateral 6-OHDA lesion of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), PPE mRNA levels in the ipsilateral striatum were increased approximately two-fold. Administration of the D2 DA agonist, quinpirole, dose-dependently attenuated the 6-OHDA lesion-induced increase in striatal PPE mRNA. The effect of quinpirole was blocked by coadministration of the D2 DA antagonist eticlopride. In contrast, administration of the D1 DA agonist, SKF 38393, either dose-dependently augmented or had no effect on the 6-OHDA lesion-induced increase in striatal PPE mRNA. In the contralateral striatum, administration of quinpirole decreased PPE mRNA, while administration of SKF 38393 increased PPE mRNA compared to sham lesioned control levels. These data suggest the action of DA at D1 and D2 DA receptors differentially regulates striatal PPE mRNA levels and the apparent inhibition of ENK biosynthesis by DA is mediated via an interaction with D2 DA receptors.

Marijuana's interaction with brain reward systems: update 1991

The most pervasive commonality amongst noncannabinoid drugs of abuse is that they enhance electrical brain stimulation reward and act as direct or indirect dopamine agonists in the reward relevant dopaminergic projections of the medial forebrain bundle (MFB). These dopaminergic projections constitute a crucial drug sensitive link in the brain's reward circuitry, and abused drugs derive significant abuse liability from enhancing these circuits. Marijuana and other cannabinoids were long considered "anomalous" drugs of abuse, lacking pharmacological interaction with these brain reward substrates. It is now clear, however, that delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta 9-THC), marijuana's principal psychoactive constituent, acts on these brain reward substrates in strikingly similar fashion to noncannabinoid drugs of abuse. Specifically, delta 9-THC enhances MFB electrical brain stimulation reward, and enhances both basal and stimulated dopamine release in reward relevant MFB projection loci. Furthermore, delta 9-THC's actions on these mechanisms is naloxone blockable, and delta 9-THC modulates brain mu and delta opioid receptors. This paper reviews these data, suggests that marijuana's interaction with brain reward systems is fundamentally similar to that of other abused drugs, and proposes a specific neural model of that interaction.

Quinolinic acid elevates striatal and pallidal Met-enkephalin levels: the role of enkephalin synthesis and release

Huntington's chorea (HC) is characterized, in part, by a substantial deficit in the striatal and pallidal enkephalin levels. Recently, an attempt was made to replicate this deficit by focally injecting quinolinic acid (QUIN), an excitotoxin, into the rat striatum. However, at 7 days post-injection, QUIN produced a dose-related and bilateral increase in the striatal and pallidal levels of met-enkephalin-like immunoreactivity (ME-i.r.), an effect which was attenuated in the presence of excitatory amino acid (EAA) receptor antagonists. In the present study, the action of QUIN was investigated further. To determine whether the QUIN (72 nmol)-induced elevations in ME-i.r. reflected the enhanced synthesis of the peptide, the striatal levels of proenkephalin mRNA were assayed 7 days following a unilateral injection of QUIN into the rat striatum. QUIN significantly depleted (50%) of the proenkephalin mRNA level in the injected, but not the contralateral striatum when compared to that in the saline-injected animals. To determine whether the QUIN-induced increases in ME-i.r. were due to an impaired release of the peptide, the release of ME-i.r. from the striatal or pallidal slices obtained from animals 7 days after a saline- or QUIN-injection, was measured. The 30 mM K(+)-stimulated ME-i.r. release from the saline-injected and contralateral striatum represented an 8-fold increase above the spontaneous release level, while this stimulus induced a 6-fold increase in the ME-i.r. release from both the QUIN-injected and contralateral striatum.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Parallel decrease of glutamic acid decarboxylase and preproenkephalin mRNA in the rat striatum following chronic treatment with a dopaminergic D1 antagonist and D2 agonist

The levels of mRNA encoding glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) and preproenkephalin (PPE) were measured by Northern blot analysis, in the dorsal and the ventral part of the striatum, following long-term treatments with drugs acting selectively on D1 or D2 dopaminergic receptors. Chronic injection of the selective D1 antagonist SCH 23390 elicited a significant decrease in level of both GAD and PPE mRNA (-30%) in the dorsal striatum, whereas no significant change was observed in the ventral striatum. Chronic administration of both SCH 23390 and RU 24926, a D2 agonist, decreased the GAD and PPE mRNA levels in the dorsal (-38 and -57%, respectively) as well as in the ventral (-70 and -60%, respectively) striatum. In the ventral striatum the marked reduction of GAD mRNA levels was paralleled by a significant decrease of Vmax values of GAD enzymatic activity (-41%). These results suggest that the decrease in content of both GAD and PPE mRNA, promoted by the chronic blockade of D1 receptors, is mainly due to the action of dopamine acting on unaffected D2 receptors. Indeed, this decrease is further amplified when the D2 agonist and the D1 antagonist are administered together. Our results substantiate further the molecular mechanisms by which dopamine acts on different populations of GABAergic and enkephalinergic neurons in the two striatal regions examined.

Striatonigral projection neurons: a retrograde labeling study of the percentages that contain substance P or enkephalin in pigeons

Two largely separate populations of neuropeptide-containing striatonigral projection neurons have been distinguished in pigeons, one population whose neurons contain substance P (SP) and dynorphin (DYN) and a second population whose neurons contain enkephalin (ENK) (Reiner, '86a; Anderson and Reiner, '90a). In the present study, we investigated the abundance of these two types of neurons relative to all striatonigral projection neurons by combining retrograde labeling by the fluorescent dye fluorogold with immunofluorescence labeling for SP and ENK. Pigeons received large intranigral injections of fluorogold to retrogradely label the striatonigral projection neurons, and several days later they were treated with colchicine (32 hours before transcardial perfusion). Adjacent series of sections through the basal ganglia were labeled for SP and ENK using immunofluorescence techniques. The tissue was examined using fluorescence microscopy and the percentages of retrogradely labeled neurons containing either SP or ENK were quantified. We found that 85-95% of the fluorogold-labeled striatonigral neurons were SP+, whereas only 1-4% were ENK+. Thus the majority of striatonigral projection neurons in pigeons appear to contain SP, whereas a small percentage contain ENK. Only a small percentage of striatonigral neurons did not contain either. Since striatal projection neurons also contain GABA (Reiner, '86b), the present results suggest that a high percentage of striatonigral projection neurons coexpress SP, DYN and GABA, whereas a small fraction coexpress ENK and GABA. The available data are consistent with the conclusion that this is true in reptilian and mammalian species as well.

A light and electron microscopical study of enkephalin-immunoreactive structures in the rat neostriatum after removal of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway

The pattern of enkephalin immunoreactivity was examined in the adult rat neostriatum, at various times after unilateral removal of the nigrostriatal dopamine input by 6-hydroxydopamine injection into the medial forebrain bundle. Animals were examined 12 days, 26 days or 13 months after the lesion. Enkephalin-immunoreactive synaptic boutons (n = 1018) in the control and the dopamine-depleted neostriatum were analysed in the electron microscope. The area of enkephalin-immunoreactive synaptic bouton profiles was significantly larger in the dopamine-depleted neostriatum and this increase was maximal in rats in which the lesion had been made 26 days or 13 months previously (50% increase). The synaptic specializations of these enkephalin-immunoreactive boutons were significantly longer in the neostriatum from the injected side. Dendritic shafts were the principal postsynaptic target of these boutons (67%) but dendritic spines (18%), perikarya (6.5%) and unidentifiable small dendrites or spines (8.5%) were also contacted. The proportions of enkephalin-immunoreactive boutons on the different postsynaptic targets were not altered by the 6-hydroxydopamine lesion. The increase in enkephalin immunoreactivity observed in the dopamine-depleted neostriatum in previous studies may be explained by the increase in the size of enkephalin-immunoreactive synaptic boutons found in the present ultrastructural investigation. The observations do not rule out the possibility that there is also an increase in the number of immunoreactive synaptic boutons, due to, for example, sprouting of the existing enkephalin-containing fibres.

Striatal proenkephalin turnover and gene transcription are regulated by cyclic AMP and protein kinase C-related pathways

Preproenkephalin metabolism, in the rat, was studied in primary striatal neurons maintained in a chemically defined medium. Acute treatment (30 min) with forskolin (10(-5) M) or phorbol 12 myristate 13 acetate (10(-7) M) resulted, respectively, in a two- and seven-fold increase in methionine-enkephalin secretion. Chronic treatment with forskolin or phorbol 12 myristate 13 acetate (24 h) induced a 100% increase in methionine-enkephalin content (forskolin) and on the other hand a 50% decrease in methionine-enkephalin (phorbol 12 myristate 13 acetate). Both treatments increased preproenkephalin mRNA levels in a time-dependent manner, this augmentation being observable after 180 min by Northern blot analysis and in situ hybridization. These data indicate that under chronic stimulation, with either forskolin or phorbol 12 myristate 13 acetate, proenkephalin turnover is accelerated. However, after stimulation with phorbol 12 myristate 13 acetate, the more potent methionine-enkephalin secretagogue, increased peptide synthesis is not sufficient to replenish methionine-enkephalin intracellular stores. Preproenkephalin gene transcription was analysed by introducing the preproenkephalin gene promoter fused to the bacterial acetyl chloramphenicol transferase reporter gene into primary neurons. Chronic stimulation (48 h) by forskolin (10(-5) M) or phorbol 12 myristate 13 acetate (10(-7) M) of striatal neurons transfected with this fusion gene increased chloramphenicol acetyltransferase activity six-fold and the two effects were additive. These data suggest that the cyclic AMP and the protein kinase C pathways directly activate preproenkephalin gene transcription.

Dopaminergic D1 and D2 receptor antagonists decrease prosomatostatin mRNA expression in rat striatum

The effect of acute dopamine receptor antagonist treatment on cellular prosomatostatin mRNA expression was investigated in the adult rat striatum using the technique of non-radioactive in situ hybridization. Adult female Wistar rats were given a single intraperitoneal injection of either raclopride (D2 antagonist), SCH 23390 (D1 antagonist) or the D1 (S) enantiomer SCH 23388. Animals were killed either 1, 3 or 9 h following the single i.p. injection and their brains rapidly removed. Striatal sections were then processed for in situ hybridization using an alkaline phosphatase-labelled oligonucleotide probe complementary to a portion of the rat somatostatin cDNA. Blockade of dopamine D1 and D2 receptors resulted in a significant decrease in the cellular content of prosomatostatin mRNA. However, no change in the number of prosomatostatin mRNA containing striatal cells was observed following any of the treatments at any time point. These findings demonstrate that the cellular content of prosomatostatin mRNA in the adult rat striatum is influenced by selective dopamine D1 and D2 receptor antagonists. Further, these findings are consistent with a functional interaction between dopamine and somatostatin in the rat striatum.

Elevation of Met-enkephalin-like immunoreactivity in the rat striatum and globus pallidus following the focal injection of excitotoxins

The present study examined the effects of excitotoxins which activate distinct excitatory amino acid (EAA) receptor subtypes on the levels of Methionine-enkephalin-like immunoreactivity (ME-i.r.) in the striatum and globus pallidus, with a view to developing a model of the striatopallidal enkephalin deficit that prevails in Huntington's disease (HD). Each of the 4 excitotoxins, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA, 50-150 nmol), quisqualate (QUIS, 26.5-102 nmol), kainate (KA, 0.5-7 nmol) and quinolinate (QUIN, 18-288 nmol), were unilaterally infused into the right striatum under halothane anaesthesia. Seven days after the injection, levels of ME-i.r. in the ipsilateral and contralateral striatum or globus pallidus were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Injection of each of the 4 excitotoxins produced dose-related and bilateral elevations in ME-i.r. in both brain regions. Generally, the excitotoxin-induced contralateral response mirrored that on the ipsilateral side and the globus pallidus showed a greater change in ME-i.r. levels than did the striatum. The rank order of apparent efficacy for these 4 agents, based on the magnitude of the maximal effect produced by the excitotoxin, was QUIN = KA greater than NMDA = QUIS. In contrast, the rank order of apparent potency, based on the doses producing a maximal effect, was KA greater than QUIS greater than QUIN greater than NMDA. Histological examination of brain sections revealed that in all cases of excitotoxin injection, the dose producing a maximal increase in ME-i.r. was associated with tissue damage in the injection area. However, no tissue damage was apparent in the globus pallidus or the contralateral striatum. To determine the involvement of EAA receptors in the observed elevations of ME-i.r., the action of 3 EAA antagonists was evaluated in co-injection experiments. Kynurenate (KYN), but not CNQX, antagonized the actions of QUIS on pallidal ME-i.r. levels. Both KYN and CPP, a potent NMDA receptor antagonist, blocked the effect of QUIN. The possibility that contralateral changes in the striatum or globus pallidus were due to mobilization of an endogenous EAA was investigated by injection of CPP into the striatum contralateral to the QUIN infusion. This injection of CPP (1.8-3.6 nmol) did not block the QUIN-induced contralateral response, but reduced the elevation in ME-i.r. in the ipsilateral pallidum. Although the excitotoxin-induced changes in ME-i.r. levels do not appear to correspond to the enkephalin deficit seen in HD, such a deficit may be discernible in different parameters of enkephalinergic cell function.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Postnatal development of striatal connections in the rat: a transport study with wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase

This paper deals with the postnatal development of afferent and efferent connections of the rat striatum as revealed by the transport of horseradish peroxidase conjugated with wheat germ agglutinin (WGA-HRP). Tracer was injected weekly from birth to the end of the first postnatal month in the head of the caudate nucleus. To control for transport from cortical areas contaminated by the micropipette, injections in newborn rats were made by either vertical or lateral penetrations. In addition some newborn and 14-day-old animals were injected only in the cortex. The results showed that at birth there was retrograde transport to the thalamus, substantia nigra and raphe nuclei. Labelling in the cortex was seen at birth but was probably due to cortical contamination. Transport from the striatum was clearly established on day 7, when a few labelled neurons were observed on both the ipsi and contralateral sides. These neurons increased in number and were distributed through layers III to VI by day 14. At this time labelled cell bodies were observed in the claustrum and lateral amygdaloid nucleus as well as in the globus pallidus and entopeduncular nucleus. On day 21 the contralateral labelling of the lateral amygdaloid nucleus was apparent. The anterograde transport from the striatum to globus pallidus, entopeduncular nucleus and substantia nigra was already visible at birth although its intensity increased during the first postnatal month.

Origin of some enkephalin-containing afferents to the ventro-medial region of the globus pallidus in the rat

The retrograde transport of WGA-HRP adsorbed to colloidal gold was combined with the indirect immunoperoxidase technique to study the origin of enkephalin-containing afferents to the medial and ventral regions of the globus pallidus (GP). On the injected side, the nerve cell bodies labeled retrogradely or double labeled were numerous in the central nucleus of the amygdala (ACe), scattered in the bed nucleus stria terminalis (BNST) and few in the fundus striati. In the ACe, approximately 40% and 20% of the retrogradely labeled perikarya were found immunoreactive for Met-enkephalin and Leu-enkephalin, respectively, whereas they were only 30% and 15% in the BNST. It is concluded that the enkephalinergic afferents of the ventro-medial region of GP, which contains the basal nucleus of Meynert in the rat, are largely of limbic origin.

Extensive co-occurrence of substance P and dynorphin in striatal projection neurons: an evolutionarily conserved feature of basal ganglia organization

A number of different neuroactive substances have been found in striatal projection neurons and in fibers and terminals in their target areas, including substance P (SP), enkephalin (ENK), and dynorphin (DYN). In a preliminary report on birds and reptiles, we have suggested that SP and DYN are to a large extent found in the same striatal projection neurons and that ENK is found in a separate population of striatal projection neurons. In the present study, we have examined this issue in more detail in pigeons and turtles. Further, we have also explored this issue in rats to determine whether this is a phylogenetically conserved feature of basal ganglia organization. Simultaneous immunofluorescence double-labeling procedures were employed to explore the colocalization of SP and DYN, SP and ENK, and ENK and DYN in striatal neurons and in striatal, nigral, and pallidal fibers in pigeons, turtles, and rats. To guard against possible cross-reactivity of DYN and ENK antisera with each others' antigens, separate double-label studies were carried out with several different antisera that were specific for DYN peptides (e.g., dynorphin A 1-17, dynorphin B, leumorphin) or ENK peptides (leucine-enkephalin, metenkephalin-arg6-gly7-leu8, methionine-enkephalin-arg6-phe7). The results showed that SP and DYN co-occur extensively in specific populations of striatal projection neurons, whereas ENK typically is present in different populations of striatal projection neurons. In pigeons, 95-99% of all striatal neurons containing DYN were found to contain SP and vice versa. In contrast, only 1-3% of the SP+ striatal neurons and no DYN neurons contained ENK. Similarly, in turtles, greater than 75% of the SP+ neurons were DYN+ and vice versa, whereas ENK was observed in fewer than 5% of the SP+ neurons and 2% of the DYN+ neurons. Finally, in rats, more than 70% of the SP+ neurons contained DYN and vice versa, but ENK was found in only 5% of the SP+ neurons and in none of the DYN+ perikarya. Fiber double-labeling in the striatum and its target areas (the pallidum and substantia nigra) was also consonant with these observations in pigeons, turtles, and rats. These results, in conjunction with studies in cats by M.-J. Besson, A.M. Graybiel, and B. Quinn (1986; Soc Neurosci. Abs. 12:876) strongly indicate that the co-occurrence of SP and DYN in large numbers of striatonigral and striatopallidal projection neurons in a phylogenetically widespread, and therefore evolutionarily conserved, feature of basal ganglia organization.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Changes in gamma-aminobutyric acid, mu-opioid and neurotensin receptors in the accumbens-pallidal projection after discrete quinolinic acid lesions in the nucleus accumbens

Discrete quinolinic acid lesions in the nucleus accumbens altered [3H]muscimol binding to gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors, [125I]neurotensin binding to neurotensin receptors, [125I]Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-NMePHe-Gly-OH binding to mu-opioid receptors, and [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate binding to muscarinic receptors. Within lesions of the lateral accumbens core, [3H]muscimol binding increased and [125I]Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-NMePhe-Gly-OH, [125I]neurotensin and [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate binding decreased. Lesions of the medial nucleus accumbens resulted in decreased [125I]Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-NMePhe-Gly-OH and [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate binding while no alterations were observed for [3H]muscimol or [125I]neurotensin binding. These data support anatomical distinctions between medial and lateral nucleus accumbens. Destruction of intrinsic neurons in the dorsomedial nucleus accumbens core increased [3H]muscimol binding in the dorsal rim of the ventral pallidum and the rostral globus pallidus without altering [125I]Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-NMePhe-Gly-OH binding. Destruction of neurons in the lateral nucleus accumbens core or medial shell did not alter [3H]muscimol binding in the ventral pallidum. The lack of upregulation in gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors suggests that the gamma-aminobutyric acid-containing projection from the dorsomedial core to the dorsal rim of the ventral pallidum differs from the projection from the lateral accumbens core and medial shell to the more ventral regions of the pallidum. Fluoro-gold retrograde tracer histochemistry confirmed the specific projection from the dorsomedial core to the dorsal ventral pallidum; and from the shell of the nucleus accumbens to more ventral regions of the ventral pallidum.

High density of zinc-containing and dynorphin B- and substance P-immunoreactive terminals in the marginal division of the rat striatum

A distinct subdivision of the striatum has recently been described which is located at the caudomedial margin of the striatum, surrounding the rostrolateral edge of the globus pallidus. This "marginal division" has an internal organization and an efferent distribution which is distinct from the rest of the striatum. The striatum contains moderately high levels of zinc and the neuropeptides enkephalin, dynorphin and substance P. In the present study we have examined the distribution of histologically detectable zinc and of dynorphin B- and substance P-immunoreactivity in the marginal division of the striatum. Each of these substances was more dense within the confines of the marginal division than in the rest of the striatum. These data provide further evidence that the marginal division is a structurally distinct subdivision of the striatum.

Distribution of DARPP-32 in the basal ganglia: an electron microscopic study

DARPP-32, a dopamine and cyclic AMP-regulated phosphoprotein, has been studied by light and electron microscopical immunocytochemistry in the rat caudatoputamen, globus pallidus and substantia nigra. In the caudatoputamen, DARPP-32 was present in neurons of the medium-sized spiny type. Immunoreactivity for DARPP-32 was present in dendritic spines, dendrites, perikaryal cytoplasm, most but not all nuclei, axons and a small number of axon terminals. Immunoreactive axon terminals in the caudatoputamen formed symmetrical synapses with immunolabeled dendritic shafts or somata. Neurons having indented nuclei were never immunoreactive. In the globus pallidus and substantia nigra pars reticulata, DARPP-32 was present in myelinated and unmyelinated axons and in axon terminals. The labelled axon terminals in these regions formed symmetrical synaptic contacts on unlabelled dendritic shafts or on unlabelled somata. These data suggest that DARPP-32 is present in striatal neurons of the medium-sized spiny type and that these DARPP-32-immunoreactive neurons form symmetrical synapses on target neurons in the globus pallidus and substantia nigra. The presence of DARPP-32 in these striatal neurons and in their axon terminals suggests that DARPP-32 mediates part of the response of medium-size spiny neurons in the striatum to dopamine D-1 receptor activation.

Co-expression of neuropeptides in the cat's striatum: an immunohistochemical study of substance P, dynorphin B and enkephalin

The expression of tachykinin-like and opioid-like peptides was studied in medium-sized neurons of the caudate nucleus in tissue from adult cats pretreated with colchicine. Two methods, a serial thin-section peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique and a two-fluorochrome single-section technique, were applied. Quantitative estimates were made mainly with the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method. The numbers of neurons expressing substance P-like, dynorphin B-like, and enkephalin-like immunoreactivity were recorded in regions identified, respectively, as striosomes and extrastriosomal matrix. Striosomes were defined by the presence of clustered substance P-positive and dynorphin B-positive neurons and neuropil. Tests for the co-existence of enkephalin-like peptide and glutamate decarboxylase-like immunoreactivity were also made with the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method. Co-expression of substance P-like and dynorphin B-like immunoreactivities was the rule both in striosomes and in the matrix. In striosomes, substance P-like immunoreactivity was found in 96% of dynorphin B-immunoreactive neurons, and in the matrix 89% of dynorphin B-positive cells contained substance P-like immunoreactivity. Substance P/dynorphin B-positive neurons corresponded to over half (57%) of the neurons in striosomes but only 39% of the neurons in the matrix. Both in the matrix and in striosomes, about two-thirds of all neurons (63% and 65%, respectively) were identified as enkephalin-positive. Among all substance P/dynorphin B-positive medium-sized neurons, 76% also contained enkephalin-like antigen. The enkephalin-positive neurons characterized by triple peptide co-existence (enkephalin/substance P/dynorphin B) represented a mean of 63% of striosomal enkephalin-positive neurons (41% of all striosomal neurons) and 35% of matrical enkephalin-positive neurons (26% of all matrical neurons). Finally, nearly all enkephalin-positive neurons were immunoreactive for glutamate decarboxylase, and therefore probably GABAergic, but only about half the glutamate decarboxylase-positive population was enkephalin-immunoreactive. These findings suggest that neuropeptides from three distinct precursors may be co-localized in single medium-sized neurons in the striatum, and that the differential patterns of co-expression of substance P-like, dynorphin B-like, and enkephalin-like peptides may confer functional specializations upon subpopulations of GABAergic neurons giving rise to the efferent projections of the striatum. The linked expression of substance P-like and dynorphin B-like peptides in single neurons both in striosomes and matrix suggests that some regulatory mechanisms controlling peptide expression apply regardless of compartment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Developmental expression of proenkephalin mRNA and peptides in rat striatum

The development of proenkephalin (PE) gene expression in the rat striatum was examined at the mRNA and peptide levels. Immunocytochemistry was performed with antisera generated to the PE-specific peptide product Met-enkephalin-Arg-Gly-Leu (MERGL). The distribution of immunostaining was compared with the distribution of PE mRNA, determined by in situ hybridization with an oligonucleotide probe. PE mRNA first appeared at E16 in the caudal ventrolateral striatum, followed at E17-18 by the appearance of MERGL immunoreactivity in a similar distribution. The anatomical gradients of PE gene expression were similar to the pattern of histogenesis of striatal neurons, suggesting that the timing of PE gene expression is related to the time of neuronal withdrawal from the mitotic cycle. The relation of the development of PE gene expression to the known patterns of striatal histogenesis, neurochemical compartmentalization and dopaminergic innervation is discussed.

Localization of enkephalinase mRNA in rat brain by in situ hybridization: comparison with immunohistochemical localization of the protein

The messenger RNA (mRNA) encoding enkephalinase (EC. 3.4.24.11; neutral endopeptidase) has been localized in rat brain by in situ hybridization using 35S- or 32P-labelled cRNA probes. Hybridization was observed only in few brain areas, and was particularly strong in the striatum, olfactory bulb and pontine nuclei. The enkephalinase protein was also localized in brain sections using a radiolabelled monoclonal antibody. While some brain regions contained both the mRNA and its translation product, others, including in particular the substantia nigra, were rich in enkephalinase but did not contain any detectable amount of enkephalinase mRNA. Enkephalinase mRNA-containing cells could be identified in regions containing neurons known to project to the substantia nigra. The discrepancy between the mRNA and the protein labelling is likely to reflect the fact that the mRNA is exclusively located within the soma of the cells while the translated protein may be found anywhere along the axonal processes.

Corticotropin-releasing factor stimulates the release of methionine-enkephalin and dynorphin from the neostriatum and globus pallidus of the rat: in vitro and in vivo studies

This study examined the changes in the in vitro and in vivo release of methionine-enkephalin (Met-enkephalin), and dynorphin from the rat neostriatum in response to corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). The levels of each opioid peptide were measured in the same sample collected at each time interval by specific radioimmunoassay methods. The in vitro release experiments were conducted using neostriatal slices (250 microns) obtained from adult male Wistar rats whereas in the in vivo studies, the release of both Met-enkephalin and dynorphin were assessed in push-pull perfusates of the caudate nucleus (containing both Met-enkephalin and dynorphin cell bodies/fibres) and the globus pallidus (containing Met-enkephalin and dynorphin terminals) of chloral hydrate-anaesthetised adult male Wistar rats. In the in vitro studies, CRF (10(-12), 10(-10) and 10(-8) M) (applied in pulses of 75 min) stimulated both Met-enkephalin and dynorphin release from the neostriatal slices in a dose-related manner; in the presence of the CRF receptor antagonist, alpha-helical CRF9-41 (10(-6) M) the release of both Met-enkephalin and dynorphin in response to CRF (10(-8) M) were completely blocked. Push-pull perfusion experiments conducted in both the caudate nucleus and the globus pallidus, also demonstrated a dose-related increase in the release of both Met-enkephalin and dynorphin in response to CRF (10(-12), 10(-10) and 10(-8) M) applied in 60-min pulses. In addition, in each of the two brain sites, the release of both Met-enkephalin and dynorphin in response to CRF (10(-8) M) was completely blocked by alpha-helical CRF9-41 (10(-6) M). Both the in vitro and in vivo studies thus demonstrate that CRF can exert potent effects on Met-enkephalin and dynorphin release within the neostriatum-pallidum of the rat and that such effects are mediated via receptors specific for CRF, probably located on both the cell bodies and terminals of these opioid-containing neurones. The data obtained in this study thus substantiate the view that CRF, in addition to its regulation of pituitary opioid peptides, can communicate to opioid-containing neurones within the central nervous system and that many of the effects elicited by CRF may be ascribed to the opioid peptide released by CRF.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Localization of striatal opioid gene expression, and its modulation by the mesostriatal dopamine pathway: an in situ hybridization study

In situ hybridization was used to study the macroscopic distribution and regulatory control of proenkephalin mRNA and prodynorphin mRNA in rat striatum. While proenkephalin mRNA was widely distributed throughout the striatum, levels of prodynorphin mRNA were highest in the medial and ventral portions of the striatum. Furthermore, in contrast to the results for proenkephalin mRNA, the levels of prodynorphin mRNA appeared higher in the nucleus accumbens than in the striatum. The mesostriatal dopaminergic pathway was destroyed by discrete, unilateral injection of 6-hydroxy-dopamine (6-OHDA) into either the substantia nigra or the neighboring ventral tegmental area (VTA). Lesions of the substantia nigra caused a dramatic ipsilateral increase in the hybridization signal for proenkephalin mRNA, but no change was observed in the hybridization signal for prodynorphin mRNA. Similar effects were seen with VTA lesions. Since destruction of the mesostriatal dopamine system elevates the levels of proenkephalin mRNA, but not of prodynorphin mRNA, in the striatal target neurons, it appears that the mesostriatal pathway exerts a tonic and selective suppression of striatal proenkephalin gene expression at the mRNA level.

Distribution of mu, delta, and kappa opiate receptor types in the forebrain and midbrain of pigeons

Ligands that are highly specific for the mu, delta, and kappa opiate receptor binding sites in mammalian brains have been identified and used to map the distribution of these receptor types in the brains of various mammalian species. In the present study, the selectivity and binding characteristics in the pigeon brain of three such ligands were examined by in vitro receptor binding techniques and found to be similar to those reported in previous studies on mammalian species. These ligands were then used in conjunction with autoradiographic receptor binding techniques to study the distribution of mu, delta, and kappa opiate receptor binding sites in the forebrain and midbrain of pigeons. The autoradiographic results indicated that the three opiate receptor types showed similar but not identical distributions. For example, mu, delta, and kappa receptors were all abundant within several parts of the cortical-equivalent region of the telencephalon, particularly the hyperstriatum ventrale and the medial neostriatum. In contrast, in other parts of the cortical-equivalent region of the avian telencephalon, such as the dorsal archistriatum and caudal neostriatum, only kappa receptors appeared to be abundant. Within the basal ganglia, all three types of opiate receptors were abundant in the striatum and low in the pallidum. Within the diencephalon, kappa and delta binding was high in the dorsal and dorsomedial thalamic nuclei, but the levels of all three receptor types were generally low in the specific sensory relay nuclei of the thalamus. Kappa binding and delta binding were high, but mu was low in the hypothalamus. Within the midbrain, all three receptor types were abundant in both the superficial and deep tectal layers, in periventricular areas, and in the tegmental dopaminergic cell groups. In many cases, the distribution of opiate receptors in the pigeon forebrain generally showed considerable overlap with the distribution of opioid peptide-containing fiber systems (for example, in the striatal portion of the basal ganglia), but there were some clear examples of receptor-ligand mismatch. For example, although all three receptor types are very abundant in the hyperstriatum ventrale, opioid peptide-containing fibers are sparse in this region. Conversely, within the pallidal portion of the basal ganglia, opioid peptide-containing fibers are abundant, but the levels of opiate receptors appear to be considerably lower than would be expected. Thus, receptor-ligand mismatches are not restricted to the mammalian brain, since they are a prominent feature of the organization of the brain opiate systems in pigeons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Decrease in a proenkephalin peptide in cerebrospinal fluid in Huntington's disease and progressive supranuclear palsy

The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) content of Met5-enkephalin-Arg-Gly-Leu immunoreactivity was found to be significantly decreased in patients with Huntington's disease and progressive supranuclear palsy. This peptide is derived from the proenkephalin precursor protein and normally is found in high concentrations in the basal ganglia. The decrease in CSF from Huntington's disease patients likely reflects the loss of proenkephalin-containing neurons seen in postmortem analyses of basal ganglia tissue. The decrease in progressive supranuclear palsy, a disease in which dopamine neurons degenerate but enkephalin levels in the basal ganglia are reportedly not decreased, may reflect a functional decline in enkephalinergic neuronal activity secondary to a striatal cholinergic deficit. The results suggest that a substantial portion of the CSF Met5-enkephalin-Arg-Gly-Leu immunoreactivity is derived from the basal ganglia and that CSF levels of this peptide can serve as an index of functional or anatomical integrity of proenkephalin synthesizing neurons in the basal ganglia.

Reassessment of enkephalin (ENK)-containing afferents to the rat lateral septum with reference to the fine structures of septal ENK fibers

Using a combination of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) histochemistry and immuno-beta-galactosidase staining, and pre-embedding immuno-electron microscopy, the present study was intended to re-examine the origins of enkephalin-like immunoreactivity (ENKI) in the rat lateral septum (LS), and to show the fine structures of septal ENKI fibers. Following HRP injection into the LS, double-labeled cells which contained a homogeneous blue reaction product of ENKI and a black or brown granular reaction product of retrogradely transported HRP were identified in 4 discrete brain regions: perifornical hypothalamic area at the level of the paraventricular nucleus (PeF); posterior part of the anterior hypothalamic nucleus (AHP); bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, medial division, posterolateral part (BSTMPL); and dorsal hypothalamic area (DA). Immuno-electron micrographs demonstrated that some of the ENKI terminals in the LS form synapses with the soma and dendrites of septal neurons devoid of ENKI, though ENKI dendrites postsynaptic to non-immunoreactive terminals were also seen in the LS. These findings suggest that a large proportion of septal ENKI fibers have their origins in the above regions (PeF, AHP, BSTMPL, DA) different from the previously considered one, and they further provide a morphological basis for the postsynaptic inhibitory effects of enkephalins on septal neurons.

Detailed immunoautoradiographic mapping of enkephalinase (EC 3.4.24.11) in rat central nervous system: comparison with enkephalins and substance P

The metallopeptidase enkephalinase known to participate in the inactivation of endogenous enkephalins and, possibly, other neuropeptides such as tachykinins, was visualized by autoradiography using a [125I]iodinated monoclonal antibody. A detailed mapping of the enzyme in rat brain and spinal cord was established on 10-micron serial sections prepared in a frontal plane as well as a few sections in a sagittal plane. On adjacent sections, and for the purpose of comparison, substance P-like and enkephalin-like immunoreactivities were also visualized by autoradiography using a 125I-monoclonal antibody and a polyclonal antibody detected by a secondary 125I-anti-rabbit antibody respectively. Histological structures were identified on adjacent Nissl-stained sections. Using the highly sensitive 125I-probe, enkephalinase immunoreactivity was found to be distributed in a markedly heterogeneous manner in all areas of the central nervous system. Immunoreactivity was undetectable in white matter areas, for example the corpus callosum or fornix, and had a laminar pattern in, for example, the cerebral cortex or hippocampal formation. Hence, although immunodetection was not performed at the cellular level, a major neuronal localization of the peptidase is suggested. The latter is consistent with the detection of a strong immunoreactivity in a pathway linking the striatum to the globus pallidum, the entopeduncular nucleus and the substantia nigra, as well as with a series of biochemical and lesion data. The strong immunoreactivity also present in choroid plexuses and ependymal cells as well as in the intermediate lobe and in scattered cells of the anterior lobe of the pituitary suggests that populations of glial and endocrine cells also express the peptidase. The highest density of enkephalinase immunoreactivity was observed in basal ganglia and limbic areas (caudate putamen, globus pallidus, nucleus accumbens, olfactory tubercles) as well as in areas involved in pain control mechanisms (superficial layers of the spinal nucleus of the trigeminal nerve or of the dorsal horn of the spinal cord) which also display the highest immunoreactivities for both enkephalins and substance P (except in globus pallidus for the latter). These localizations account for the opioid-like analgesic and motor effects of enkephalinase inhibitors inasmuch as a selective or predominant participation of the peptidase in enkephalin inactivation is assumed. A number of other areas appear richly endowed in both enkephalinase and enkephalins whereas substance P is hardly detectable. This is particularly the case for the olfactory bulb, bed nucleus of the accessory olfactory tract, the cerebellum (where enkephalinase mainly occurs in the molecular layer) and the hippocampal formation (namely in the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Microdialysis of extracellular endogenous opioid peptides from rat brain in vivo

The combination of microdialysis and a highly sensitive radioimmunoassay was developed in order to monitor the in vivo extracellular levels of endogenous opioid peptides from discrete regions of the rat brain. The radioimmunoassay cross-reacts 100% with peptides with alpha N-acetyl Tyr.Gly.Gly.Phe-Met or -Leu at the N terminus and thus recognizes all known endogenous opioid peptide fragments following acetylation of the sample. The assay was conducted on solid phase with antibody bound via protein A to 96-well plates and provided a limit of detection of approximately 0.2 fmol. A variety of dialysis membranes were evaluated with respect to their efficiency in recovering opioid peptides in vitro. Custom-made probes (4 mm active length) manufactured from polyacrylonitrile membranes and commercially available polycarbonate membrane probes proved most suitable with relative recoveries for [Met]- and [Leu]enkephalin in the range 6-10% at a flow rate of 2.7 microliters/min. Probes implanted in the globus pallidus/ventral pallidum of halothane/N2O anaesthetized rats recovered approximately 1.5 fmol of immunoreactive opioid material per 30-min sample in the absence of peptidase inhibitors. The majority of this immunoreactivity co-eluted with [Met]- and [Leu]enkephalin on reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. A 2-min pulse of 100 mM K(+)-containing artificial cerebrospinal fluid in the perfusion medium during a 30-min sampling period increased the recovered immunoreactive material to 43.9 fmol +/- 12.4 S.E.M. A second stimulation 3 h later also resulted in elevated levels with an S2:S1 ratio of 0.64 +/- 0.03. The second stimulation was completely blocked by perfusion of a 10 mM EGTA-containing medium, basal release on average remaining unaffected.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Synaptic organization of the globus pallidus

The synaptic organization of the globus pallidus is reviewed with respect to present knowledge about neurons, fibers, axon terminals, and their intrinsic synaptic relationships. Information derived from studies employing Nissl stains, Golgi impregnations, lesion degeneration techniques, immunohistochemistry, and anterograde axonal labeling in various species are presented along with ultrastructural data. Studies indicate that the globus pallidus contains a principal efferent neuron with smooth or spiny dendrites and simple or complex terminal dendritic arborizations. This cell type receives convergent inputs from intrinsic and extrinsic sources and uses gamma-aminobutyric acid as a transmitter. A smaller and separate population of pallidal projection neurons contains acetylcholine. Two other less frequent neuronal types, of small and medium size, have also been recognized. Three to six types of axonal boutons forming synaptic contacts with pallidal neurons have been recognized in various studies. Among these, three types (types I, II, and III) are the most prevalent. Studies indicate that the most frequent category (type I) originates from neostriatal neurons via radial fiber projections and contains immunoreactive GABA and enkephalins. The synaptic architecture of the globus pallidus is dominated by a mosaic-like arrangement of long dendrites that are ensheathed by longitudinally oriented axons making synapses en passant. Triadic synapses involving dendrites that are pre- and postsynaptic are encountered infrequently. Because both striatopallidal and pallidothalamic connections are inhibitory, pallidal target neurons in the thalamus may be "disinhibited" when the neostriatum is activated.

Autoradiographic localization of delta opiate receptors in rat and human brain

In vitro quantitative receptor autoradiography was performed on frozen sections of rat and human brain to visualize delta opiate receptors using the specific ligand [3H][D-Pen2, D-Pen5]enkephalin. For comparison, rat brain sections were also labelled with [3H]D-Ala2, D-Leu5-enkephalin. Compounds which block mu and kappa binding were included to make the [3H]D-Ala2, D-Leu5-enkephalin binding more specific. The two ligands had similar, but not identical, distributions in rat forebrain sections. Sites labelled with [3H][D-Pen2,D-Pen5]enkephalin were distributed heterogeneously within the layers of the frontal and parietal cerebral cortex, with high densities in the superficial and deep cortical layers. The claustrum and striatum had the most delta sites, whereas the globus pallidus had no delta binding. The distribution of [3H]D-Ala2,D-Leu5-enkephalin binding sites was similar to that of [3H][D-Pen2,D-Pen5]enkephalin, except that there was less heterogeneity in the frontal cortex. In the human brain regions studied, the highest delta binding was in caudate, putamen, temporal cortex and amygdala. There was less heterogeneity in the binding of [D-Pen2,D-Pen5]enkephalin in the human cortex than in the rat. No delta binding was seen in the medial and lateral segments of the globus pallidus. In both species, a discrepancy between the high enkephalin content of the globus pallidus and the absence of delta binding was apparent.

Vesicular localization of immunoreactive [Met5]enkephalin in the globus pallidus

The distribution of enkephalin immunoreactivity in the neuropil of globus pallidus was analyzed with a quick-freezing, postembedment-staining technique for light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry. Fluorescence images of ultrathin sections on glass slides, obtained with a silicon-intensified-tube (type) video camera, revealed staining in the form of scattered fluorescent dots, each 200-400 nm in diameter. Colloidal gold staining under the electron microscope was associated with 80- to 100-nm vesicles of average electron density, widely dispersed in the neuropil, with usually one and no more than four vesicles in individual sectioned neuronal processes. Analysis of fluorescence images in paired serial sections of thicknesses varying from 25 to 150 nm proved that the 200- to 400-nm dots of fluorescence came from smaller structures, presumably the 80- to 100-nm vesicles. Enkephalinergic vesicles in the globus pallidus were nearly always found in what appeared to be axons of passage and were only infrequently associated with synaptic profiles.

[3H]SCH 23390 binding to D1 dopamine receptors in the basal ganglia of the cat and primate: delineation of striosomal compartments and pallidal and nigral subdivisions

The distribution of D1 dopamine receptors was studied autoradiographically in the basal ganglia of the cat, monkey and human. These receptor binding sites were labeled directly with the D1-selective antagonist [3H]SCH 23390, and ligand-binding assays were performed concurrently. Serial- or same-action analysis permitted comparisons among D1 binding distributions, acetylcholinesterase staining and tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity. In all species studied, the dorsal striatum exhibited patches of particularly dense D1 binding in correspondence with acetylcholinesterase-poor striosomes. Highly patterned binding was present in the ventral striatum. Distinctions in binding density were observed among the subdivisions of the globus pallidus and of the substantia nigra. The external segment of the pallidum was extremely sparse in D1 binding, whereas the internal segment (or entopeduncular nucleus in the cat) was a site of high D1 binding density. The binding density was greatest in the core of the internal segment, and tyrosine hydroxylase-positive fibers surrounded and weakly dispersed themselves through this core. Weak binding was present in the ventral pallidum. In the substantia nigra, the pars reticulata demonstrated the densest binding, particularly medially. The pars compacta showed much sparser binding, though some of its tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons had dendrites extending ventrally into the zone of dense D1 binding in the pars reticulata. We conclude that [3H]SCH 23390-defined D1 binding is compartmentalized in the dorsal striatum and that, particularly in relation to the reported distributions of striatal D2 dopamine receptors, this is likely to be of functional significance in the dopaminergic modulation of intrastriatal neurotransmission as well as of afferent and efferent neurotransmission. The segregated localizations of D1 receptors in the substantia nigra suggest predominant activation of the pars reticulata, including ventral and medial regions adjacent to the densocellular zone. Specific pathways from compartments in the striatum to subdivisions of the pallidum may also be differentially modulated by dopamine acting via distinct receptor subtypes. At the level of the pallidum, such D1 modulation appears to be restricted to the internal segment, which projects to the thalamus, rather than to the external pallidum, which projects to the subthalamic nucleus.

Distribution of enkephalin-immunoreactive nerve fibres and terminals in the region of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis of the rat: a light and electron microscopic study

This investigation was carried out on the distribution of enkephalin-containing nerve fibres and terminals in the region of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM) of the rat. At the light microscope (LM) level, enkephalin-immunoreactive sites and endogenous choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) were demonstrated by employing the two-colour immunoperoxidase staining technique, using highly specific monoclonal antibodies against enkephalin and ChAT. A pharmacohistochemical procedure to reveal acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-synthesizing neurons combined with the peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) immunocytochemical technique to detect endogenous enkephalins, provided ultrastructural data on the relationships of neuronal elements containing AChE and enkephalins in the region of the NBM. At the LM level, cholinergic neurons of the NBM were surrounded by a dense network of enkephalin-immunoreactive nerve fibres. Electron microscopic (EM) observations of histochemically characterized structures, that were first identified in the LM, revealed that intensely AChE-stained structures in the region of the NBM received sparse synaptic inputs from enkephalin immunoreactive terminals. Synaptic inputs of immunoreactive terminals onto intensely AChE-stained neuron cell bodies were not detected. Synaptic contacts onto proximal AChE-positive dendrites were sparse, but the density increased on more distal regions of the dendrites. All immunoreactive boutons studied established symmetrical synaptic contacts with AChE-positive post-synaptic structures. The pattern of the synaptic input to these cells differs strikingly from that onto typical globus pallidus neurons. The perikarya and dendrites of the latter neurons were characteristically ensheathed in immunoreactive synaptic boutons. Results are consistent with the view that enkephalin-like substances in the rat might be synaptic transmitters or neuromodulators in the area of the NBM and that cholinergic neurons of the NBM (Ch4) are integrated into the circuitry of the basal ganglia. Enkephalins may play an important role regulating the extrinsic cholinergic innervation of the neocortex.

Dopaminergic regulation of striatal proenkephalin mRNA and prodynorphin mRNA: contrasting effects of D1 and D2 antagonists

In situ hybridization was used to measure the levels of proenkephalin mRNA and prodynorphin mRNA in regions of rat striatum and nucleus accumbens. Chronic administration of haloperidol (2.4 mg/kg/day for 7 days) increased the levels of proenkephalin mRNA in both striatum and nucleus accumbens. In contrast, the levels of prodynorphin mRNA were not significantly affected in any region. Chronic administration of the D1 antagonist SCH 23390 (2.4 mg/kg/day for 7 days) decreased the striatal content of proenkephalin mRNA. A similar effect was seen in the lateral nucleus accumbens. The levels of prodynorphin mRNA were unaffected by SCH 23390 treatment in all regions examined. These results suggest that there is no major tonic dopaminergic regulation of prodynorphin synthesis in the basal ganglia. However, it appears that there is a tonic suppression, via D2 receptors, and a tonic enhancement, via D1 receptors, of proenkephalin synthesis, in the striatum and nucleus accumbens.

Dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra modulate preproenkephalin A gene expression in rat striatal neurons

The messenger RNA coding for preproenkephalin A (PPA) was detected by in situ hybridization in striatal neurons in normal rats and in rats having had the right substantia nigra destroyed by an injection of 6-hydroxydopamine or by electrolysis. Animals were killed 15, 30, 45 and 70 days following the lesion. A double-stranded PPA cDNA and a single-stranded PPA cRNA labeled with 32P or 35S were used as probes to detect the PPA mRNA in brain sections. The controls demonstrated the specificity of the labeling. The darkening of X-ray film in contact with the striatum was appraised, the optical density was measured, and the density of the cells expressing the PPA gene in sections was calculated using an image analyzer. The mean number of silver grains per labeled cell (reflecting the number of PPA mRNA copies per cell) was also calculated using an image analyzer. The 6-hydroxydopamine lesion which destroyed all dopaminergic neurons in the right substantia nigra, provoked a large increase in the number of PPA mRNA copies in enkephalin neurons of the right striatum, and decreased the number of cells expressing the PPA mRNA in the left striatum. These variations substantia nigra provoked similar variations, but less intense.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Enkephalinergic-cholinergic interaction in the rat globus pallidus: a pre-embedding double-labeling immunocytochemistry study

The synaptic relationships between leucine-enkephalin containing axon terminals and cholinergic neurons in the rat globus pallidus were studied at both light and electron microscopic levels using a high resolution pre-embedding double-labeling immunocytochemical method. Results indicated that leucine-enkephalin terminals very rarely form monosynaptic connections with cholinergic neurons in the rat globus pallidus, suggesting that enkephalinergic neostriatal efferents probably have little monosynaptic influences on the activities of pallidal cholinergic neurons.

Autoradiographic distribution of multiple classes of opioid receptor binding sites in human forebrain

Receptor binding parameters and autoradiographic distribution of various opioid receptor sites have been investigated in normal human brain, post-mortem. [3H]DAGO, a highly selective mu ligand, binds to a single class of high affinity (Kd = 1.1 nM), low capacity (Bmax = 160 fmol/mg protein) sites in membrane preparations of frontal cortex. These sites show a ligand selectivity profile that resembles that of the mu opioid receptor. On the other hand, [3H]bremazocine, in presence of saturating concentrations of mu and delta blockers, appears to selectively bind to a single population of kappa opioid sites (Kd = 0.13 nM; Bmax = 93.0 fmol/mg protein) in human frontal cortex. Whole hemisphere in vitro receptor autoradiography reveals that [3H]DAGO-mu, [3H]DSLET-delta and [3H]bremazocine (plus blockers)-kappa binding sites are discretely and differentially distributed in human forebrain. In the cortex, mu sites are concentrated in laminae I and IV, delta sites in laminae I and II while kappa sites are found in deeper layers (laminae V and VI). In subcortical nuclei, high densities of mu and delta sites are seen in the caudate and putamen while high amounts of kappa sites are present in the claustrum and amygdala. The nucleus basalis of Meynert is enriched in all three classes of sites while the globus pallidus only contains moderate densities of kappa sites. Thus, the possible alterations of these various classes of opioid receptors in neurological and psychiatric diseases certainly deserve further investigation.

Neurotransmitters in the mammalian striatum: neuronal circuits and heterogeneity

The major input and output pathways of the mammalian striatum have been well established. Recent studies have identified a number of neurotransmitters used by these pathways as well as by striatal interneurons, and have begun to unravel their synaptic connections. The major output neurons have been identified as medium spiny neurons which contain gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), endogeneous opioids, and substance P. These neurons project to the pallidum and substantia nigra in a topographic and probably chemically organized manner. The major striatal afferents from the cerebral cortex, thalamus, and substantia nigra terminate, at least in part, on these striatal projection neurons. Striatal interneurons contain acetylcholine, GABA, and somatostatin plus neuropeptide Y, and appear to synapse on striatal projection neurons. In recent years, much activity has been directed to the neurochemical and hodological heterogeneities which occur at a macroscopic level in the striatum. This has led to the concept of a patch-matrix organization in the striatum.

Neural grafting in a rat model of Huntington's disease: striosomal-like organization of striatal grafts as revealed by acetylcholinesterase histochemistry, immunocytochemistry and receptor autoradiography

Grafts of fetal striatum were implanted in the form of a cell suspension into the brains of rats with prior ibotenic acid lesions of the caudate-putamen. The grafts were placed in three different sites: the lesioned caudate-putamen, or the denervated (but otherwise undamaged) globus pallidus and substantia nigra. After 3-6 months survival the grafts were investigated by means of immunohistochemistry and receptor autoradiography in combination with routine histology and acetylcholinesterase histochemistry. The grafts placed within the lesioned caudate-putamen were at least 10-fold larger larger than those placed in the substantia nigra region, with the grafts placed in the globus pallidus being of intermediate size. In all locations the acetylcholinesterase staining had an uneven, patchy distribution, which was most pronounced in the grafts located within the caudate-putamen. These patches did not bear any obvious relationship to variations in density of the neuronal perikarya within the grafted tissue. Many of the neuropeptide-immunoreactive neuron types present in the normal striatum, such as those containing substance P, [Met]enkephalin, somatostatin, cholecystokinin and neuropeptide Y were also detected in the grafted striatum along with acetylcholinesterase-positive staining. Acetylcholinesterase-positive, [Met]enkephalin-positive, substance P-positive and tyrosine hydroxylase-positive markers all showed uneven, patchy distributions in the grafts. This was also the case for the distribution of dopamine D2 and opiate receptors (as revealed by [3H]spiroperidol and [3H]diprenorphine autoradiography, respectively), whereas muscarinic receptor binding was even throughout the grafts. As is the case in the so-called striosomal patches (neurochemically defined compartments) in the immature intact striatum during the early postnatal period, patches of high acetylcholinesterase staining in the grafts showed partial correspondence with patches of high [Met]enkephalin fibre staining, and dopamine receptor density, and (although to a lesser degree) also with patches of high opiate receptor density and high substance P-immunoreactivity. This correspondence of patches also occurred between tyrosine hydroxylase fibre staining and acetylcholinesterase staining as revealed by grafts placed into the substantia nigra. These results suggest that the fetal striatal cell suspension grafts will give rise to a fairly normal range of striatal neuron and receptor types and that they develop at least some of the striosomal features characteristic for the normal striatum.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)