Monoclonal antibodies against glutaraldehyde-conjugated dopamine

Production of Dopamine by Aromatic l-Amino Acid Decarboxylase Cells after Spinal Cord Injury

Aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) cells are widely distributed in the spinal cord, and their functions are largely unknown. We have previously found that AADC cells in the spinal cord could increase their ability to produce serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) from 5-hydroxytryptophan after spinal cord injury (SCI). Because AADC is a common enzyme catalyzing 5-hydroxytryptophan to serotonin and l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-dopa) to dopamine (DA), it seems likely that the ability of AADC cells using l-dopa to synthesize DA is also increased. To prove whether or not this is the case, a similar rat sacral SCI model and a similar experimental paradigm were adopted as that which we had used previously. In the chronic SCI rats (> 45 days), no AADC cells expressed DA if there was no exogenous l-dopa application. However, following administration of a peripheral AADC inhibitor (carbidopa) with or without a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (pargyline) co-application, systemic administration of l-dopa resulted in ∼94% of AADC cells becoming DA-immunopositive in the spinal cord below the lesion, whereas in normal or sham-operated rats none or very few of AADC cells became DA-immunopositive with the same treatment. Using tail electromyography, spontaneous tail muscle activity was increased nearly fivefold over the baseline level. When pretreated with a central AADC inhibitor (NSD-1015), further application of l-dopa failed to increase the motoneuron activity although the expression of DA in the AADC cells was not completely inhibited. These findings demonstrate that AADC cells in the spinal cord below the lesion gain the ability to produce DA from its precursor in response to SCI. This ability also enables the AADC cells to produce 5-HT and trace amines, and likely contributes to the development of hyperexcitability. These results might also be implicated for revealing the pathological mechanisms underlying l-dopa-induced dyskinesia in Parkinson's disease.

Monoclonal antibody-based immunoassay for analysis of octopamine in housefly

Octopamine (OA) is one of the biogenic monoamines in the housefly, which acts as an important neurohormone in the physiological process of this pest. In this study, a new hapten of OA was synthesized via aldol condensation. With the hapten, monoclonal antibodies (MAb) were generated and their characterizations were investigated. An indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA) based on MAb 3C11-E3 was established, which required simple sample pre-treatments and had low cross-reactivity with OA structural analogise. The half maximal inhibition concentration (IC50) and the detected range (IC20-IC80) of the icELISA were 128 ng/mL and 12-1438 ng/mL, respectively. Average recoveries of OA ranged from 73 to 129% in the housefly.

The effects of nigrostriatal dopamine depletion on the thalamic parafascicular nucleus

Neuronal loss in Parkinson's disease (PD) is seen in a number of brain regions in addition to the substantia nigra (SN). Among these is the thalamic parafascicular nucleus (PF), which sends glutamatergic projections to the striatum and receives GABAergic inputs from the SN. Recent data suggest that lesions of nigrostriatal dopamine axons cause a loss of PF neurons, which has been interpreted to suggest that the PF cell loss seen in PD is secondary to dopamine denervation. However, the extent of a PF dopamine innervation in the rat is unclear, and it is possible that PF cell loss in parkinsonism is independent of nigrostriatal dopamine degeneration. We characterized the dopamine innervation of the PF in the rat and determined if 6-hydroxydopamine SN lesions cause PF neuron degeneration. Dual-label immunohistochemistry revealed that almost all tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive (TH-ir) axons in the PF also expressed dopamine-beta-hydroxylase and were therefore noradrenergic or adrenergic. Moreover, an antibody directed against dopamine revealed only very rare PF dopaminergic axons. Retrograde-tract tracing-immunohistochemistry did not uncover an innervation of the PF from midbrain dopamine neurons. Nigrostriatal dopamine neuron lesions did not elicit degeneration of PF cells, as reflected by a lack of FluoroJade C staining. Similarly, neither unilateral 6-OHDA lesions of nigrostriatal axons nor the dorsal noradrenergic bundle decreased the number of PF neurons or the number of PF neurons retrogradely-labeled from the striatum. These data suggest that the loss of thalamostriatal PF neurons in Parkinson's Disease is a primary event rather than secondary to nigrostriatal dopamine degeneration.

Immunocytochemical demonstration of polyamines in nucleoli and nuclei

Although biochemical studies have shown that polyamines (PAs) occur in the nucleus, only few studies have examined the intranuclear distribution of these organic cations. By immunocytochemistry, we have previously demonstrated that PAs are located in ribosomes. We now show that PAs also are present in both nucleoli and nuclei of a variety of cell types. Detection of nucleolar and nuclear PAs required novel pretreatment procedures involving protease and/or DNase digestion of specimens prior to immunoreaction. Double fluorescence staining confirmed the localizations. This suggests that PAs may be important to the formation of ribosomes in nucleoli, as well as adds support to biochemical studies suggesting that PAs are involved in many biological events in the nucleus. Further biochemical studies will be needed to substantiate this hypothesis.

Direct Ring Conjugation of Catecholamines and Their Immunological Interactions

Catecholamine derivatives were synthesized with potential applications as coating antigens in biosensors or in the raising of specific antibodies. Thioether-bridged derivatives of the catecholamines dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine that attach carboxylic acid functionalities directly to the aromatic ring via an easily incremented linker chain were synthesized by an electrochemical method. These derivatives were purified by convenient ion-exchange chromatography, exact positions of conjugation determined by NMR, and a dopamine derivative immobilized in situ in a BIAcore surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor and its antibody binding studied in comparison with immobilization via the catecholamine primary amine. Binding of an antibody raised to an amine-conjugated protein conjugate showed clear distinction between conjugations at different positions on the catecholamine, illustrating the importance of rational conjugate design in immunosensing of the catecholamines.

The dopamine-synthesizing cells in the swimming larva of the tunicate Ciona intestinalis are located only in the hypothalamus-related domain of the sensory vesicle

Dopamine is a major neuromodulator synthesized by numerous cell populations in the vertebrate forebrain and midbrain. Owing to the simple organization of its larval nervous system, ascidian tunicates provide a useful model to investigate the anatomy, neurogenesis and differentiation of the dopaminergic neural network underlying the stereotypical swimming behaviour of its chordate-type larva. This study provides a high-resolution cellular analysis of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive and dopamine-positive cells in Ciona intestinalis embryos and larvae. Dopamine cells are present only in the sensory vesicle of the Ciona larval brain, which may be an ancestral chordate feature. The dopamine-positive cells of the ascidian sensory vesicle are located in the expression domain of homologues of vertebrate hypothalamic markers. We show here that the larval coronet cells also arise from this domain. As a similar association between coronet cells and the hypothalamus was reported in bony and cartilaginous fishes, we propose that part of the ascidian ventral sensory vesicle is the remnant of a proto-hypothalamus that may have been present in the chordate ancestor. As dopaminergic cells are specified in the hypothalamus in all vertebrates, we suggest that the mechanisms of dopamine cell specification are conserved in the hypothalamus of Ciona and vertebrates. To test this hypothesis, we have identified new candidate regulators of dopaminergic specification in Ciona based on their expression patterns, which can now be compared with those in vertebrates.

Synaptic release of dopamine in the subthalamic nucleus

The direct modulation of subthalamic nucleus (STN) neurons by dopamine (DA) neurons of the substantia nigra (SN) is controversial owing to the thick caliber and low density of DA axons in the STN. The abnormal activity of the STN in Parkinson's disease (PD), which is central to the appearance of symptoms, is therefore thought to result from the loss of DA in the striatum. We carried out three experiments in rats to explore the function of DA in the STN: (i) light and electron microscopic analysis of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-, dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DbetaH)- and DA-immunoreactive structures to determine whether DA axons form synapses; (ii) fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FCV) to determine whether DA axons release DA; and (iii) patch clamp recording to determine whether DA, at a concentration similar to that detected by FCV, can modulate activity and synaptic transmission/integration. TH- and DA-immunoreactive axons mostly formed symmetric synapses. Because DbetaH-immunoreactive axons were rare and formed asymmetric synapses, they comprised the minority of TH-immunoreactive synapses. Voltammetry demonstrated that DA release was sufficient for the activation of receptors and abolished by blockade of voltage-dependent Na+ channels or removal of extracellular Ca2+. The lifetime and concentration of extracellular DA was increased by blockade of the DA transporter. Dopamine application depolarized STN neurons, increased their frequency of activity and reduced the impact of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic inputs. These findings suggest that SN DA neurons directly modulate the activity of STN neurons and their loss may contribute to the abnormal activity of STN neurons in PD.

Antibodies directed against L and D isovaline using a chemical derivatizing reagent for the measurement of their enantiomeric ratio in extraterrestrial samples: first step-production and characterization of antibodies

Determining the enantiomeric ratio of amino acids in meteorites requires very sensitive and precise measurements. In this study, an immunochemical approach, combined with new chemical derivatizing agents, was investigated for the measurement of the enantiomeric ratio of isovaline. In the initial step, L and D isovaline were derivatized with epsilon-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-lysine-(t-butyl ester)-chloroethylnitrosourea (Z-L-Lys-(OtBu)-CENU). The Z group was hydrolyzed and the resulting isovaline derivatives (L-Lys(OtBu)-L-isovaline and L-Lys(OtBu)-D-isovaline) were conjugated with protein using glutaraldehyde and reduced with sodium borohydride. Rabbits were immunized with the immunogenic conjugates thus obtained. Antibodies were characterized using many compounds, both derivatized and underivatized, in competitive ELISA tests. These competition experiments performed enabled us to establish the following results: 1) unconjugated L-Lys(OtBu)-L-isovaline and L-Lys(OtBu)-D-isovaline were poorly recognized; 2) all related L-Lys(OtBu)-alpha-hydrogenated amino acids (L and D) were not recognized at all, which eliminates the possibility of the measurements being distorted by contamination; 3) only conjugated L-Lys(OtBu)-alpha-amino-isobutyric acid (AIB) was recognized by the antibody, 4) the enantiomeric discrimination of L and D isovaline through their derivatives (diastereoisomeric L-Lys(OtBu)-L-isovaline and L-Lys(OtBu)-D-isovaline) was in accordance with the measurement of their enantiomeric ratio. Immunopurification was shown to enhance antibody specificity. The strategy employed shows potential for the quantification of meteoritic amino acids.

Catecholamine degradation by monoamine oxidase in locus coeruleus neurons of the rat. An immunohistochemical study

We examined by immunohistochemistry the effects of monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibition on the content of dopamine (DA) and noradrenaline (NA) in locus coeruleus (LC) neurons of the rat. In normal rats, clusters of DA- and NA-immunopositive neurons were identified in the LC. Rats treated with intraperitoneal injections of pargyline, an MAO inhibitor, showed significantly stronger DA- and NA-staining intensities in LC neurons compared to normal rats. In LC noradrenergic neurons, it is believed that DA is formed in the cytoplasm and then transported into the storage vesicles where it is converted to NA, and the secreted NA is recycled by a reuptake mechanism and transported back into storage vesicles via the cytoplasm. Furthermore, LC neurons of the rat have been shown to contain DA- and NA-degrading MAO activities on the outer membranes of the mitochondria. Therefore, our findings suggest that endogenous MAO degrades not only part of the DA formed in the cytoplasm of LC neurons, but also part of the secreted NA that has been transported back into the cytoplasm.

Distribution of dopamine-immunoreactive fibers in the rat brainstem

We describe the distribution of axons immunoreactive for dopamine in pons and medulla oblongata of rat under normal conditions or after inhibition of monoamine oxidase or dopamine beta-hydroxylase. In the pons of non-treated animal, fairly dense plexuses of dopamine-immunoreactive varicose fibers were found in the locus coeruleus, dorsal parabrachial and dorsal raphe nuclei, central gray and reticular formation dorsal to the superior olive. In the medulla oblongata, the immunoreactive fibers were abundant in the dorsal vagal complex, lateral paragigantocellular nucleus, midline raphe nuclei and spinal trigeminal nucleus. Monoamine oxidase inhibition made it possible to increase the intensity of immunoreactivity and consequently the number of labeled fibers in these areas, indicating that dopamine is perpetually oxidized by monoamine oxidase, and consequently in low concentration under normal conditions. Sparse dopamine-immunoreactive fibers were observed in the pontine gray, motor trigeminal nucleus, inferior olive and major axon bundles such as the dorsal and ventral tegmental bundles, where numerous noradrenergic fibers have been reported. In axons of these areas, intense dopamine-immunoreactivity was seen only after inhibition of dopamine-beta-hydroxylase. It appears that dopamine is released and oxidized in response to autonomic changes such as hypoxia, hemorrhage, and cardiovascular variation in the caudal brainstem, as we have described elsewhere.

Anatomical and functional reconstruction of the nigrostriatal system in vitro: selective innervation of the striatum by dopaminergic neurons

To study development of the nigrostriatal pathway in an in vitro model system, organotypic slices obtained from rat pups (P4) and containing the striatum and the cortex were grown together with apposed embryonic (E13.5) mesencephalic blocks according to the static slice culture method of Stoppini et al. (1991; J. Neurosci. Methods 37:173-182). Under these conditions, mesencephalic dopaminergic (DA) fibers rapidly grow through the slice, preferentially its striatal portion. This innervation provides a true synaptic innervation to the striatum, as shown by the presence of DA terminals on striatal neurons. DA fibers are able to exert a functional influence, as seen by their ability to modulate c-Fos expression in striatal neurons in the same way as in vivo. Thus, blockade, under basal conditions, of the effect of spontaneously released dopamine by the D2 receptor antagonist haloperidol leads to the activation of c-Fos expression in the striatum. Furthermore, stimulation of DA release by amphetamine induces striatal c-Fos expression in a D1 receptor-dependent manner. Next, the mechanisms of the selective striatal innervation were examined. Indeed, DA fibers innervated specifically the striatum, avoiding the cortical portion of the slice. This selectivity seems to be specific for DA neurons; no selectivity could be observed when noradrenergic neurons were substituted for DA neurons. Short-term cocultures in a collagen gel of mesencephalic blocks with striatal blocks failed to reveal any oriented outgrowth of DA fibers from the mesencephalon, suggesting that the selective innervation observed in the organotypic slices results from some contact-dependent, presumably adhesive interactions rather than from the presence of some diffusible substance orienting the growth of DA fibers towards the striatum. On the other hand, DA neurons seeded onto striatal slices did not attach selectively onto the striatal portion of the slice, indicating that the putative specific adhesive interactions governing the selective striatal innervation are not the same as those determining the adhesion of the DA neurons. These results show that cocultures of cortex-striatum and mesencephalic slices result in a system that displays a number of the morphological and functional traits of the normal nigrostriatal system and that can be relied on as a good in vitro model of in vivo development.

Immunocytochemical localization of histamine in enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells in rat oxyntic mucosa: a transmission electron microscopy study using monoclonal antibodies and conventional glutaraldehyde-based fixation

Histamine (HA), contained in the enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells of the gastric mucosa in animals, plays an important role in gastric acid secretion, although methods for its exact morphological localization are still lacking. We used a pre-embedding indirect immunoperoxidase approach to define the fine structural localization of HA in rat oxyntic mucosa that was fixed with a glutaraldehyde-based fixative and HA monoclonal antibodies (MAbs AHA-1 and 2). Transmission electron microscopy showed that the peroxidase endproduct not only was concentrated in the cores of cytoplasmic granules but also was distributed to a high degree in the cytoplasm peripheral to the granules of the ECL cells. These results suggest that in ECL cells HA is enzymatically synthesized in the cytoplasm, then is transported and stored in the cores of the granules before its release from the basal lamina. The present HA immunoelectron microscopic method with MAbs would be applicable more generally to the ultrastructural identification of HA-containing cells.

Cholinergic axon terminals in the ventral tegmental area target a subpopulation of neurons expressing low levels of the dopamine transporter

Cholinergic activation of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) is thought to play a major role in cognitive functions and reward. These dopaminergic neurons differentially project to cortical and limbic forebrain regions, where their terminals differ in levels of expression of the plasmalemmal dopamine transporter (DAT). This transporter selectively identifies dopaminergic neurons, whereas the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAchT) is present only in the neurons that store and release acetylcholine. We examined immunogold labeling for DAT and immunoperoxidase localization of VAchT antipeptide antisera in single sections of the rat VTA to determine whether dopaminergic somata and dendrites in this region differ in their levels of expression of DAT and/or input from cholinergic terminals. VAchT immunoreactivity was prominently localized to membranes of small synaptic vesicles in unmyelinated axons and axon terminals. VAchT-immunoreactive terminals formed almost exclusively asymmetric synapses with dendrites. Of 159 dendrites that were identified as cholinergic targets, 35% contained plasmalemmal DAT, and 65% were without detectable DAT immunoreactivity. The DAT-immunoreactive dendrites postsynaptic to VAchT-labeled terminals contained less than half the density of gold particles as seen in other dendrites receiving input only from unlabeled terminals. These results suggest selective targeting of cholinergic afferents in the VTA to non-dopaminergic neurons and a subpopulation of dopaminergic neurons that have a limited capacity for plasmalemmal reuptake of dopamine, a characteristic of those that project to the frontal cortex.

Detection of nitrosylated epitopes in Trypanosoma brucei gambiense by polyclonal and monoclonal anti-conjugated-NO-cysteine antibodies

Activated macrophages with the Calmette/Guérin bacillus (BCG) have a cytotoxic/cytostatic effect on the extracellular parasite, Trypanosoma brucei gambiense. This effect was inhibited when the NO-synthase inhibitor NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (NMMA; 0.5 mM) was added to the culture media. Using an immunocytochemical method with rabbit polyclonal or mouse monoclonal antibodies directed against conjugated nitroso-epitopes (anti-conjugated-NO-cysteine), nitrosylated antigens were visualized in fixed trypanosomes. These results suggest that NO was synthesized by the activated macrophages and that it reacted with some parasitic proteins containing cysteine. The release of NO bound to parasitic proteins may cause the killing of trypanosomes. The immunoreactivity was positive when the trypanosomes were obtained from the supernatant of the BCG-activated macrophages that contains BSA (4 mg/mL). In contrast, the parasites cocultured with non-activated macrophages remained completely viable, and, the immunoreactivity was completely negative.

Monoclonal antibody monospecific to glycine for brain immunocytochemistry

We have developed mouse monoclonal antibodies (AGLY-1-8, all IgG1 subisotype mAbs) against glycine (Gly) conjugated to bovine serum albumin using glutaraldehyde (GA)-NaBH4. Among these, AGLY-4 mAb was found to be the most useful for Gly immunocytochemistry (ICC) in functions of specificity and sensitivity without non-specific immunobinding. AGLY-4 was demonstrated to be monospecific to Gly by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) binding test, and not reactive to any of the other amino acids and peptides tested. Using this antibody, indirect immunoperoxidase staining was observed in different regions of the rat brain fixed with GA in combination with borohydride reduction. In contrast, immunoreactivity was quite low in tissues fixed only with GA. Absorption controls indicated that the immunostaining could be completely inhibited by 5 microg/ml of Gly-human serum albumin (HSA) conjugate prepared using GA and NaBH4, which was consistent with the results of an ELISA inhibition test. No cross-reaction occurred with other GA-conjugated amino acids. Dense ICC staining was observed in the rat neurons related to the auditory and vestibular centers, and modest immunostaining was seen in all the structures of the cerebellar cortex except for the Golgi cells which were strongly stained. These results were in complete agreement with the previous methods using polyclonal anti-Gly serum. Also, a new finding was that staining was noticed in certain cells widely distributed in the different brain regions. These results strongly suggest that the monoclonal antibody has a potential for elucidating the precise distribution of Gly-containing cells.

Dual character, asynaptic and synaptic, of the dopamine innervation in adult rat neostriatum: a quantitative autoradiographic and immunocytochemical analysis

Dopamine (DA) axon terminals (varicosities) in the neostriatum of adult rats were examined for shape, size, content, synaptic incidence, type of junction, synaptic targets, and microenvironment after electron microscopic identification either by [3H]DA uptake autoradiography or by immunocytochemistry with monoclonal antibodies against DA-glutaraldehyde-protein conjugate. Both approaches yielded comparable results. Whether they were from the paraventricular or the mediodorsal neostriatum, respectively, the [3H]DA-labeled and DA-immunostained varicosities were generally oblong and relatively small; more than 60% contained one or more mitochondria. Sixty to seventy percent were asynaptic, and 30-40% were endowed with a synaptic membrane differentiation (junctional complex), as inferred by stereological extrapolation from single thin sections (both approaches) or observed directly in long, uninterrupted series of thin sections (immunocytochemistry). The synaptic DA varicosities always displayed symmetrical junctions: 67% with dendritic branches, 30% with dendritic spines, and 2-3% with neuronal cell bodies. DA varicosities juxtaposed to one another were frequent. Other axonal varicosities were more numerous in the immediate vicinity of DA varicosities than around randomly selected, unlabeled terminals. The respective microenvironments of DA and unlabeled varicosities also showed enrichment in the preferred synaptic targets of both groups of varicosities, with dendritic branches for DA and dendritic spines for the unlabeled ones. These data suggest a dual mode of operation that is diffuse as well as synaptic for the nigrostriatal DA system. In such a densely DA-innervated brain region, they also lead to the hypothesis that a basal level of extracellular DA might be maintained permanently around every tissue constituent and, thus, contribute to the mechanisms of action, properties, and functions (or dysfunctions) of DA within the neostriatum itself and as part of the basal ganglia circuitry.

Dopamine produced from L-DOPA is degraded by endogenous monoamine oxidase in neurons of the dorsal raphe nucleus of the rat: an immunohistochemical study

The aim of the present study is to examine by immunohistochemistry whether dopamine produced from L-DOPA in serotonin neurons of the rat brain is degraded by endogenous monoamine oxidase (MAO). In rats that received intraperitoneally L-DOPA plus a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor, carbidopa, a cluster of dopamine-immunoreactive neurons was found in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DR). In L-DOPA/carbidopa-injected rats that were pretreated with an intraperitoneal injection of a MAO inhibitor, pargyline, when compared with the L-DOPA/carbidopa-injected rats without the pargyline pretreatment, neurons of the cluster of the DR became much darker in dopamine staining. The distribution of dopamine-stained neurons in the DR of these rats corresponded very closely to the previously reported distribution of serotonin-immunoreactive neurons of normal rats. In normal or only pargyline-injected rats, dopamine-stained neurons were scarcely observed in the DR. We previously showed that serotonin neurons of the rat DR were induced to contain dopamine by the injection of L-DOPA plus carbidopa. These findings suggest that the newly produced dopamine from L-DOPA in serotonin neurons of the rat DR is degraded by endogenous MAO.

Non-dopaminergic catecholaminergic neurons of mesencephalic and medullary nuclei contain different levels of dopamine

The present study addresses the question whether metabolic dopamine can be immunocytochemically detected within non-dopaminergic catecholaminergic axonal fibers. For this purpose, confocal microscopy was used to analyze sections treated for the double fluorescence immunostaining of dopamine and either noradrenaline or phenylethanolamine-N- methyltransferase (the enzyme in adrenergic neurons that converts noradrenaline into adrenaline). Our data demonstrate that throughout the brain and spinal cord, the majority of the axonal fibers that reacted with the anti-phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase antibodies also exhibited faint to intense dopamine immunoreactivity. Similarly noradrenaline and dopamine immunoreactivities were frequently colocalized within axonal fibers innervating brain and spinal cord regions that receive a dense innervation from medullary noradrenergic neurons. On the contrary, dopamine was rarely detected within noradrenaline-immunoreactive fibers in those regions where the noradrenergic innervation essentially arises from noradrenergic neurons of the locus coeruleus. A similar differential dopamine immunostaining was observed in the corresponding neuronal perikarya of the medulla oblongata and the locus coeruleus. These data indicate that two types of non-dopaminergic catecholaminergic neurons can be distinguished according to their content in dopamine: (i) the noradrenergic and adrenergic neurons located in the medulla oblongata, whose cell bodies and axons contain high concentrations of metabolic dopamine and (ii) the noradrenergic neurons located in the mesencephalon, which contain low levels of metabolic dopamine.

L-DOPA is converted to dopamine in serotonergic fibers of the striatum of the rat: a double-labeling immunofluorescence study

The aim of the present study is to examine whether serotonergic terminals of the rat brain are induced to contain dopamine by L-DOPA administration. In rats that received intraperitoneally L-DOPA plus a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor, we showed by use of a double-labeling immunofluorescence method that dopamine was localized in serotonergic fibers of the striatum and cerebral cortex as well as in serotonergic cell bodies of the midbrain raphe nuclei. In normal rats, no dopamine was detected in the serotonergic fibers or cell bodies. The finding suggests that a part of the administered L-DOPA may enter the serotonergic terminals and be converted to dopamine in the rat brain.

Identification of a benzo[a]pyrene-like binding protein involved in circulating immune complexes of patients with mammary tumors

Anti-benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P)-like autoantibodies (autoAb) have been characterized in sera of patients with epithelial tumors. Circulating immune complexes (CIC) from these sera have been analysed after polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) under non-denaturing conditions. Immunoblotting was performed using a monoclonal antiidiotypic antibody (Ab), internal image of conjugated B[a]P called AIB1 and anti-human immunoglobulins (Ig). An immunoreactivity was seen only with AIB1 Ab, suggesting the presence of a 'B[a]P-like' binding protein. Additional studies showed that this immunoreactivity is not associated with an 18- to 20-kDa protein previously identified in the same CIC.

Catecholaminergic innervation of the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the adult rat: ultrastructural relationships with neurons containing vasoactive intestinal peptide or vasopressin

Catecholaminergic fibers in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of adult rats were investigated by use of light- and electron-microscopic immunocytochemistry. The suprachiasmatic nucleus receives a modest density of tyrosine hydroxylase-containing axons, homogeneously distributed in the nucleus and forming varicosities throughout its entire rostro-caudal extension. Immunolabeling with antibodies against dopamine showed that this catecholamine input comprises a dopaminergic component. Many tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells were localized at the immediate periphery of the suprachiasmatic nucleus. With electron-microscopic examination, dendrites of these neurons were found within the limits of the nucleus as well as at a border zone between the suprachiasmatic nucleus proper and the optic tract where they received unlabeled synapses, providing a morphological support for a possible role of dopaminergic neurons in the integration and/or transfer of light-related signals. More than 91% of catecholaminergic axonal varicosities were found to establish morphologically defined synapses with dendrites. To investigate whether these synapses might be shared with neurons of one or both of the two main peptidergic populations of the nucleus, namely vasoactive intestinal peptide- and vasopressin-containing neurons, we carried out double-labelling experiments combining immunoperoxidase and immunogold-silver labeling. Results showed only a few cases of direct association of the catecholaminergic terminals with these peptidergic categories. In both types of dually stained sections, catecholaminergic synapses were preferentially made with unlabeled dendrites. The homogeneous distribution of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive fibers in the suprachiasmatic nucleus could therefore reflect a lack of significant catecholaminergic innervation of both vasoactive intestinal peptide- and vasopressin-synthesizing neurons.

Molecular detection of methionine in rat brain using specific antibodies

In order to study the localization of methionine in rat brain, an immunological approach was developed by raising antibodies directed against this amino acid. Methionine was conjugated to bovine serum albumin (BSA) or human serum albumin (HSA) via glutaraldehyde. The conjugates were then reduced by sodium borohydride and injected alternately into rabbits. Antibody affinity and specificity were evaluated using an adapted ELISA method, by competition experiments between conjugated methionine and related conjugated compounds, pre-incubated with anti-methionine antibodies diluted at 1/20,000. The resulting cross-reactivity ratios, calculated at half-displacement, showed that glutaraldehyde-methionine conjugate (methionine-G-BSA) was the best recognized compound. Non-reduced methionine conjugate (methionine=G=BSA) and the related-conjugated molecules such as homocysteine, homocysteic acid, cysteine, cystathionine and glutamate were not recognized at all. Antibodies to methionine were directed against a glutaraldehyde-methionine epitope and their very high affinity and specificity made them reliable tools for molecular detection of methionine in rat brain. Using purified antibodies diluted at 1/20,000, motoneurons were found to be the most methionine-immunoreactive cell bodies in glutaraldehyde-fixed rat brain sections.

Immunohistochemical evidence that central serotonin neurons produce dopamine from exogenous L-DOPA in the rat, with reference to the involvement of aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase

The aim of the present study is to examine whether aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) catalyzes the conversion of exogenous L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) to dopamine in serotonin neurons of the rat dorsal raphe nucleus. First, in order to confirm the localization of AADC in central serotonin neurons, we used an immunoperoxidase method for AADC and demonstrated that the distribution of AADC-containing neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus corresponds very closely to the previous description on the distribution of serotonin-immunoreactive neurons. Second, in the rat that received intraperitoneally L-DOPA plus a peripheral AADC inhibitor, we used a double-labeling immunofluorescence method and showed that serotonin-stained neurons of the dorsal raphe nucleus were also immunoreactive to dopamine. The present result suggests that AADC decarboxylating L-5-hydroxytryptophan to serotonin in physiological conditions is also able to catalyze the in vivo decarboxylation of exogenous L-DOPA.

Dopaminergic innervation of rat locus coeruleus: a light and electron microscopic immunohistochemical study

Dopaminergic innervation of the rat locus coeruleus (LC) was immunohistochemically studied by using monoclonal antibody directed against dopamine (DA) at the light- and electron-microscopic levels. A dense plexus of DA-immunoreactive (IR) varicose fibers was found not only in the cell body area of the LC but also in the dendritic area. Three hundred and forty DA-IR terminal boutons were observed. They were distributed in a wide range of diameters of 0.1-1.8 microns but most of them were large (mean value: 0.98 micron). Sixty-nine percent formed an asymmetric synapse. There were many axo-spinous connections. Small dendrites less than 0.3 micron in diameter displaying synaptic specialization were mostly dendritic spines (75%). Most of the target dendrites seemed to be noradrenergic in nature. It is suggested that dopaminergic innervation may play a powerful role in control mechanisms of activity of NA-containing neurons of the LC.

Antibodies to reduced glutathione

Reduced glutathione was conjugated to carrier proteins with glutaraldehyde. Conjugates were reduced by sodium borohydride and injected into rabbits. Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, antibody affinity and specificity were determined by competition experiments between glutathione conjugate and related conjugated compounds. The resulting cross-reactivity ratios, calculated at half-displacement, showed that conjugated glutathione was the best recognized compound. Non-reduced glutathione conjugate was 50 x less recognized. The other related conjugates were not recognized at all. Thus, the high affinity and relative specificity make these antibodies potentially valuable tools for immunohistochemical detection of reduced glutathione in glutaraldehyde-fixed rat brain. Using purified antisera diluted at 1/5000, reduced glutathione was preferentially visualized in nerve fibers of cortex, cerebellum and spinal cord. These results suggest that concentration of GSH in rat CNS are higher in nerve fibers than in neuronal perikaryons.

Host serotonin axons innervate intrastriatal ventral mesencephalic grafts after implantation in newborn rats

This study investigated the potential of immature and adult serotonin (5-HT) neurons for axonal growth into intrastriatal grafts of ventral mesencephalic tissue. Implantation of dissociated fetal (embryonic days 14-15) ventral mesencephalic tissue was carried out in immature [postnatal days (P) 5-14] and adult rat neostriatum. The brains were processed 2-6 months later for dopamine and 5-HT immunocytochemistry. A few grafts implanted into adult and P7 recipients contained small numbers of cotransplanted 5-HT cell bodies. These also displayed a rich network of 5-HT axons, even in adult rats prelesioned with 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine, indicating the graft origin of these axons. All other grafts were totally devoid of 5-HT cell bodies. After implantation in adults, such grafts contained rare 5-HT axons. In contrast, in P5-P7 recipients, they displayed many 5-HT fibres, which were uniformly distributed. Such was no longer the case after implantation in P14 recipients, which showed minimal 5-HT innervation, as in adult recipients. Processing of naïve rat brain at different ages for 5-HT immunocytochemistry showed that 5-HT axons were still clearly less numerous in the neostriatum at P21 than in adults, whereas in the substantia nigra the 5-HT innervation developed more rapidly and was comparable, at P21, to that of adults. It was concluded that 5-HT axons are able to grow into ventral mesencephalic grafts, but mainly at the fetal stage and with decreasing capacity after birth.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Sparing of the dopaminergic neurons containing calbindin-D28k and of the dopaminergic mesocortical projections in weaver mutant mice

In mice carrying the weaver mutation there is a spontaneous degeneration of dopaminergic neurons that is heterogeneous among cell groups: nigrostriatal neurons are more affected than mesolimbic neurons, while involvement of the mesocortical system is controversial. We questioned whether the pattern of cell loss in mesencephalon and fiber depletion in telencephalon could be related to the differential content of Calbindin-D28k in dopaminergic cells. The mesencephalon of seven-month-old mutants was serially sectioned and alternate series were immunostained with tyrosine hydroxylase and Calbindin-D28k. Cell counts indicated a 40% loss for the ensemble of dopamine mesencephalic neurons. However, double-immunostained preparations revealed that this cell loss was restricted to the neurons that lacked Calbindin-D28k, which were reduced by 72%, while the dopaminergic neurons containing Calbindin-D28k were completely spared. Calbindin-D28k was present in both the cytoplasm and nucleus of the dopaminergic cells. This nuclear localization was confirmed at the ultrastructural level. In the telencephalon of weaver mutants, areas receiving projections from the Calbindin-D28k-positive dopaminergic neurons, such as the cerebral cortex, contained normal densities of fibers, while areas harboring projections from the non-Calbindin-D28k dopaminergic neurons, such as the dorsal striatum, had reduced amounts of fibers. The vulnerability pattern in the mesencephalon of weaver mutants bears similarities to that described in idiopathic Parkinson's disease or in N-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-induced Parkinsonism: Calbindin-D28k may thus delimit a group of dopaminergic neurons resistant to cell death in different conditions. On the other hand, the vulnerability pattern of dopaminergic fibers in weaver differs from that of Parkinson's disease, since there is a complete sparing of the dopaminergic mesocortical projection in weaver, contrasting with the damage of these projections in Parkinson's disease.

Light and electron microscopic studies of the effects of p-chloroamphetamine on the monoaminergic innervation of the rat spinal cord

A previous report has shown that small diameter serotoninergic (5-HT) axons innervating the forebrain are selectively eliminated by treatment with an amphetamine derivative, (+/-)p-chloroamphetamine (PCA; Mamounas et al., [1991] J. Comp. Neurol. 314:558-586). It is well known that the spinal cord is the target of numerous monoaminergic fibers of different types. We have previously shown that the dorsal and ventral horns and the intermediolateral cell column are innervated by numerous serotonin-, noradrenaline- and dopamine-containing axons, including both thin axons with small varicosities and beaded axons with large varicosities. In all these regions, the large majority of fine indolaminergic fibers do not establish synaptic contacts, contrasting with the beaded axons which mostly exhibit synapses. The present work was conducted to study the effect of PCA on the monoaminergic innervation of the adult rat spinal cord. Animals received two subcutaneous doses of PCA 24 hours apart and were perfused 3 weeks later. Immunocytochemistry was performed to detect 5-HT, noradrenergic and dopaminergic fibers by using light and electron microscopy. Light microscopy revealed that PCA treatment caused a marked and selective elimination of the fine 5-HT-immunoreactive fibers, mainly found in the dorsal horn, but spared all other larger axons. This selective effect on the dorsal horn innervating thin 5-HT fibers was confirmed with the electron microscope by calculating the synaptic incidence(s) of monoaminergic innervation. These results suggest that fine and beaded 5-HT axons correspond to two anatomically, biochemically and pharmacologically different types of fibers, which could arise from two subpopulations of brainstem neurons. In addition, this drug could be used to provide an experimental animal, devoid of 5-HT nonsynaptic fibers, thereby facilitating a study on the role of dorsal horn nonsynaptic system in pain modulation.

Dopamine neoinnervation in the substantia nigra and hyperinnervation in the interpeduncular nucleus of adult rat following neonatal cerebroventricular administration of 6-hydroxydopamine

An aberrant network of dopamine axons was found to pervade the rat substantia nigra following neonatal destruction of its dopamine nerve cell bodies and dendrites by cerebroventricular administration of 6-hydroxydopamine. Light-microscopic immunocytochemistry with a primary monoclonal antibody directed against dopamine-glutaraldehyde-protein was used to investigate the time-course of development and the critical period of induction of this ectopic dopamine innervation (neoinnervation). In rats 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned at postnatal day 3 (P3) and examined at P7, P10, P15, P30 or later, some dopamine fibers were already present in the substantia nigra at P7; their number increased sharply until P15 and only slightly thereafter, assuming a topographic distribution reminiscent of the missing dopamine nerve cell bodies and dendrites. A similar growth of dopamine fibers took place in the substantia nigra after lesions made at P6, P9 and P12, but was less pronounced after lesion at P15 and absent after lesion at P21 or later. Excessive innervation by dopamine axons (hyperinnervation) was concomitantly observed in the nearby interpeduncular nucleus. The sprouting of dopamine axons in both regions was therefore rapid and coincided in time and space with the developmental redistribution of mesencephalic dopamine neurons in normal rat. It is conceivable that these aberrant dopamine innervations play a role in the peculiar behavior and responsiveness to dopaminergic agents manifested by neonatally 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats. It will be of particular interest to investigate the functional consequences of the dopamine neoinnervation in the substantia nigra, where an eventual axonal release might thus be replacing the normal somatodendritic release of this amine.

Changes of D1 and D2 receptors in adult rat neostriatum after neonatal dopamine denervation: quantitative data from ligand binding, in situ hybridization and iontophoresis

The specific binding of [3H]SCH23390 to D1 and of [3H]raclopride to D2 dopamine receptors was measured by autoradiography in the rostral and caudal halves of neostriatum and in the substantia nigra of adult rats subjected to near total destruction of nigrostriatal dopamine neurons by intraventricular 6-hydroxydopamine soon after birth. Three months after this lesion, [3H]SCH23390 binding (D1 receptors) was slightly but significantly decreased in the rostral neostriatum (22%), but unchanged in its caudal half and in the substantia nigra. In contrast, [3H]raclopride binding (D2 receptors) was considerably increased throughout the neostriatum (10-40%), while markedly decreased in the substantia nigra (80%). In the rostral neostriatum, there were no parallel changes in D2 receptor messenger RNA levels, as measured by in situ hybridization on adjacent sections. Caudally, however, slight but significant increases in D2 messenger RNA could be observed (10-20%). As assessed by quantitative iontophoresis, there was a marked enhancement (63%) of the inhibitory responsiveness of spontaneously firing units in the rostral neostriatum to dopamine and the D1 agonist, SKF38393, in neonatally lesioned compared to control rats. On the other hand, responsiveness to PPHT, a potent D2 agonist, appeared to be unchanged. Such opposite changes in the number of D1 and D2 binding sites, dissociated from the expression of D2 receptor messenger RNA and from the sensitivity to dopamine and D1 and D2 agonists, suggested independent adaptations of these various parameters following the neonatal dopamine denervation of neostriatum. They also provided further evidence for mechanisms other than the dopamine innervation in the control of the expression of neostriatal D2 receptor messenger RNA during ontogenesis, and emphasized that the effects of dopamine and its D1 and D2 agonists in neostriatum do not depend strictly on the number of D1 and D2 primary ligand recognition sites.

Demonstration of immunoglobulin G with affinity for dopamine in cerebrospinal fluid from psychotic patients

Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, significantly raised concentrations of immunoglobulin G with affinity for the neurotransmitter dopamine were demonstrated in cerebrospinal fluid from psychotic patients. We have varied the antigen presentation in order to find a conjugate with low unspecific binding. The conjugation of dopamine to carbodiimide-activated poly-L-glutamic acid and that to activated succinimide ester of biotin are described. The use of glutaraldehyde conjugation is not recommended because of the risk of formation of tetrahydroisoquinolines. A strong correlation (r = 0.94, P < 0.001) between the results obtained with dopamine conjugated to poly-L-glutamic acid and dopamine conjugated to biotin was observed. Forty-two human cerebrospinal fluid samples from 20 psychotic patients, (12 with a bipolar disorder and 8 with schizophrenia) and 22 control patients, with various neurological diseases but no apparent psychiatric diseases were investigated. A significantly higher incidence (P < 0.001) of antibodies with affinity for dopamine were found in the group of psychotic patients compared with the neurological control group.

Radioimmunoligand characterization and immunohistochemical localization of dopamine D2 receptors on rods in the rat retina

The retinal neurotransmitter dopamine (DA), elaborated from intrinsic dopaminergic neurons as amacrine and interplexiform cells, is known to modulate several complex functions mediated by D1 and D2 receptors in the vertebrate retina. In this paper, we characterized and localized DA receptors of the D2 family on rod outer segments (ROS) of the rat retina by a radioimmunoligand binding assay and by immunohistochemistry. Anti-anti-DA conjugated antibodies (or anti-idiotypic antibodies Ab2) were used as ligand; BSA-glutaraldehyde-conjugated spiperone, eticlopride (D2 antagonists) and DA were used as displacers. The linear Scatchard transformation indicated that data were best fit to the one-site model. By using the peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique, an intense labeling was located on rods. These results supported the paracrine action of DA on the photoreceptor cell.

A monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibody with an internal image of a "phosphatidylinositol-like" structure derived from anti-"phosphatidylinositol-like" IgG from the sera of patients with proliferative malignancies

Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) coated on well-plates, high levels of anti-"PtdIns-like" autoantibodies (autoAbs) have been previously described in sera of cancer patients. These anti-"PtdIns-like" autoAbs were purified and injected into BALB/c mice. A monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibody (Ab2), internal image of human endogenous "PtdIns-like" structure called AIPI, was selected. Then the immunological binding in sera of cancer patients was evaluated on AIPI coated on well-plates. Using this indirect ELISA method, we found a statistically highly significant immunological binding in sera of patients with epithelial tumors, which correlated with that previously found with the PtdIns molecule coated on well-plates. Moreover, AIPI mimics an endogenous structure closely associated with PtdIns specifically encountered in epithelial proliferative disease.

Immunohistochemical study of the catecholaminergic innervation of the spinal cord of the rat using specific antibodies against dopamine and noradrenaline

We have assessed the relative contributions of dopaminergic and noradrenergic descending systems to the catecholaminergic innervation of the rat spinal cord. Fibres and terminals were labelled with their own neurotransmitter by using specific antibodies raised against dopamine (DA) and noradrenaline (NA) respectively. For this purpose, immunohistochemistry according to the peroxidase anti-peroxidase technique was performed in different experimental conditions. Two group of rats received intracisternal 6-hydroxy-dopamine (6-OHDA) injections either with or without benzatropine pretreatment. Animals of a third group were not pretreated at all. While 6-OHDA induced a complete disappearance of spinal NA-like immunoreactivity (NA-LI), except for scarce residual fibres in the thoracic intermedio-lateral cell column, DA-like immunoreactivity (DA-LI) was unaffected by the lesion. This strongly suggests that the antisera used specifically labelled NA-containing and DA-containing fibres respectively. Spinal DA-LI and NA-LI innervations differed markedly in their topographical distributions and in the morphology of the corresponding fibres. DA-LI innervation was restricted to laminae I, III and IV and to the intermediate zone, especially the autonomic areas. In the ventral horn, it was sparse and more visible after acidification of the fixation solution. NA-LI innervation was much more widely spread. In addition, the organization of NA-LI fibres suggests that the innervation of the whole dorsal horn comes from a group of fibres travelling, at least partially, in the superficial dorsal horn.

Light and electron microscopic characterization of dopamine-immunoreactive axons in human cerebral cortex

The distribution and synaptic connections of dopamine axons were studied by light and electron microscopy in human cerebral cortex. For this purpose, dopamine immunoreactivity was characterized in apparently normal anteriolateral temporal cortex, which was removed to gain access to the medial temporal lobe during tumor excision or treatment of epilepsy. Nissl sections showed this to be granular neocortex. Dopamine fibers were distributed throughout this cortex, although there were relatively more fibers in layers I-II and in layers V-VIa, compared to layers III-IV and VIb, resulting in a bilaminar pattern of labeling. In all layers, fibers were seen to form numerous varicosities, and to vary in size from thick to very fine. Fibers were relatively straight, sparsely branched and were oriented in various planes within the cortex. However, in layer I, they often ran parallel to the pial surface. In order to analyze the functional interactions of dopamine fibers, individual cortical layers were surveyed for dopamine synapses. These were usually symmetrical (Gray's type II), although 13% of them were asymmetrical. Approximately 60% of dopamine synapses were made with dendritic spines, and 40% with dendritic shafts, and this ratio was similar in all layers. On both spines and shafts, it was common to see dopamine synapses closely apposed to an unlabeled asymmetric input, suggesting a dopamine modulation of excitatory input. Some postsynaptic dendritic shafts had features of pyramidal cells, including formation of spines. Since pyramidal cells are the major type of cortical spiny neuron, they probably represent the main target of dopamine synapses in this cortex. There were also dopamine profiles apposed to membrane densities on unlabeled axon terminals, suggesting another type of synaptic interaction. These findings provide the first documentation of dopamine synapses in the human cortex, and show that they form classical synaptic junctions. The location of these synapses on spines and distal dendrites, and their proximity to asymmetric synapses, suggest a modulatory role on excitatory input to pyramidal cells.

Norepinephrine-containing glomus cells in the rabbit carotid body. II. Immunocytochemical evidence of dopamine-beta-hydroxylase and norepinephrine

The presence of noradrenergic glomus cells in the rabbit carotid body was investigated at the light and electron microscope levels, using dopamine-beta-hydroxylase and norepinephrine immunocytochemistry as well as the chromaffin reaction. Frozen and semi-thin plastic sections showed some dopamine-beta-hydroxylase immunoreactive glomus cells either isolated in the connective tissue or, more frequently, mixed with unreactive cells. At the ultrastructural level immunopositive cells differed from immunonegative ones by the larger size of most of their dense-cored vesicles. Similar observations were made after using anti-norepinephrine antibodies. Immunoreactive cells to anti-dopamine-beta-hydroxylase and anti-norepinephrine antibodies were relatively few although their number varied from carotid body to carotid body. The immunolabelling intensity was very variable from cell to cell. Consecutive frozen sections processed for norepinephrine- and dopamine-immunocytochemistry showed many cell clusters containing both norepinephrine and dopamine-immunoreactive glomus cells. Some chromaffin glomus cells were clearly identifiable by the very strong electron opacity of their dense-cored vesicles; most of these vesicles were characterized by their large size, as the dense-cored vesicles observed in dopamine-beta-hydroxylase- and norepinephrine-immunopositive cells. These results demonstrated that dopamine-beta-hydroxylase and norepinephrine-immunopositive, as well as chromaffin cells, were identical to the cells which take up exogenous norepinephrine, described in part I of this study. However, many intermediate levels were found between norepinephrine-immunonegative and strongly norepinephrine-immunopositive glomus cells, suggesting that the distinction between these two kinds of cells is not clearcut.

First Characterization of 6-Hydroxytryptamine in the Rat Midbrain by Using Specific Antibodies

The visualization of serotonin, 5-methoxytryptamine, and tryptamine in the rat midbrain has been made possible by the development of antibodies raised against these conjugated molecules. It has been suggested that 6-hydroxytryptamine (6-HT) might also be a neurotransmitter in this region. To test this hypothesis, 6-HT was synthesized and antibodies were raised in the rabbit. The high avidity (IC50 = 5 x 10(-9) M) and specificity [cross-reactivity ratio between 6-HT-glutaraldehyde (G)-bovine serum albumin (BSA) and 5-HT-G-BSA, the most immunoreactive compound, was 1,500] rendered these antibodies reliable tools for specific molecular detection of 6-HT in the G-fixed tissues. In the dopaminergic region, 6-HT immunoreactivity was noted in the substantia nigra but was particularly intense in the red nuclei, where it seems to be localized in the magnocellular division in the form of large 6-HT neurons. In contrast, there were few 6-HT neurons in the raphe nuclei. Thus, 6-HT may be a new putative neurotransmitter existing in the red nuclei, in addition to the other neurotransmitters already described in this region, in the nigro-rubral pathway, and in the rubral projection from the dorsal raphe nuclei. 6-HT is possibly implicated in motor control and might exert hallucinogenic properties as do other 6-hydroxylated indoleamines.

Identification and immunochemical characterization of IgA in sera of patients with mammary tumors

It has been reported that several types of human cancer are associated with elevated levels of class-A immunoglobulins (Ig) and IgA-containing immune complexes. Moreover, most previous work has come up against the lack of IgA reactivity for chemically defined antigen (Ag). To overcome this, we first evaluated possible immunological binding in sera of patients with mammary tumors or malignant hematologic diseases and controls on a mouse monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibody (Ab2), internal image of conjugated benzo(a)pyrene (BP) coated on well plates. Using this indirect ELISA, a statistically highly significant immunological binding was found in sera of patients with mammary tumors of every grade, type and size. This immunological binding was linked to the IgA isotype. Second, we performed competition experiments between a BP conjugate coated on well-plates and anti-anti-"BP-like" antibodies (Ab) previously incubated with rabbit idiotypic antibodies (Ab1) directed against conjugated BP. A part of these anti-anti-BP-like Ab, raised in rabbits immunized with human IgA of patients with mammary tumors, recognized the Ag-combining site of polyclonal Ab1, previously developed in a rabbit immunized with BP conjugates. It appears that part of the human Ig from sera of patients with mammary tumors shares common idiotopes with rabbit polyclonal Ab1 raised against conjugated BP.

Ultrastructural analysis of the serotonin hyperinnervation in adult rat neostriatum following neonatal dopamine denervation with 6-hydroxydopamine

Serotonin (5-HT) immunocytochemistry was used at the electron microscopic level to characterize the ultrastructural features of 5-HT axon terminals (varicosities) hyperinnervating the neostriatum of adult rats, 3 months after a neonatal destruction of the nigrostriatal dopamine system by intraventricular 6-hydroxydopamine. 5-HT-immunostained terminals from the anterior half of the hyperinnervated neostriatum were examined in single thin sections, and compared to their counterparts in vehicle-injected controls with respect to shape, size, organelle content, presence of a synaptic membrane differentiation and composition of the microenvironment. The intrinsic and relational features of the 5-HT-immunostained varicosities were essentially the same in 5-HT-hyperinnervated and control tissue. In particular, the frequency with which these varicosities made synaptic contacts was similarly low in both conditions (6-8% for whole varicosities), as already described in normal adult rat neostriatum. The distributional frequency of elements juxtaposed to the 5-HT-immunostained varicosities was also comparable in control and 5-HT-hyperinnervated tissue. However, in both conditions, there were much fewer dendritic spines in the microenvironment of 5-HT varicosities than around unlabeled terminals randomly selected from the same thin sections. This difference seemed entirely due to the numerous axo-spinous synaptic contacts made by the randomly selected, unlabeled varicosities. Together with recent observations on the 5-HT-hyperinnervation of adult rat hippocampus after grafts of fetal neurons, these data lead to the suggestion that mostly non-junctional neostriatal 5-HT terminals are not committed to a specific intratissular microenvironment. This might in part explain why they grow in excess when reinnervating adult tissue after a lesion or a graft.

Visualization of a protein involved in seric immune complexes of patients with epithelial tumors having elevated levels of anti-'benzo[a]pyrene-like' IgA

Many authors have previously described that several types of human cancer were associated with elevated levels of IgA and IgA-containing immune complexes. We have recently identified and characterized IgA directed against a "benzo[a]pyrene-like' antigen in sera of patients with mammary tumors. Circulating immune complexes from these sera were precipitated and analysed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A 18-20-kDa protein was found closely associated with high levels of anti-'benzo[a]pyrene-like' IgA in sera of patients having a proliferative pathology.

Preparation and characterization of a specific antibody for the immunohistochemical detection of L-dopa in paraformaldehyde-fixed rodent brains

A rat polyclonal antiserum has been obtained after coupling of L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) to larger proteins using a low concentration of glutaraldehyde. The antiserum was tested for its affinity and specificity using an enzyme-linked-immunosorbent-assay (ELISA). From competition experiments, the most immunoreactive compound was found to be the non-reduced L-DOPA conjugate. Our specific L-DOPA antiserum enables us to visualize L-DOPA molecule on brain of guinea pigs and rats. We examined the immunohistochemical distribution of the polyclonal L-DOPA antiserum after the fixation of brains with a mixture of paraformaldehyde and picric acid. The presence of L-DOPA-immunoreactive (IR) neurons and fibers was described in the posterior, dorsal and periventricular hypothalamic areas and in the arcuate nucleus. Finally, the distribution of L-DOPA-IR cells was compared to that of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-IR cells, by means of a double staining procedure. The presence of two populations of TH-IR cells (TH-positive/L-DOPA-negative and TH-positive/L-DOPA-positive cells) was described in the dorsal part of the hypothalamus.

Quantitative image analysis with densitometry for immunohistochemistry and autoradiography of receptor binding sites--methodological considerations

Major technical progress in the development of computer-based image analysis has made possible the entry of autoradiography and immunohistochemistry into a new era where quantification by densitometry has become easily accessible. Autoradiography could become quantitative and displayed adequate reproducibility with the help of emulsion-coated films and the use of scales of standards of known radioactivity exposed and analyzed in parallel to the tissue sections. Immunohistochemistry after revelation by a color-based enzymatic technique can also become quantitative, providing that standardization of the crucial steps of the procedure and calibration through a parallel treatment of a scale of antigen standards can be ensured. Such an approach is described here in the rat with reference to tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the main synthesizing enzyme for catecholamines, and with dopamine (DA) itself, a catecholaminergic neurotransmitter. The different parts of the procedure, which can influence the results, such as the fixation of the animals by perfusion and the evaluation of the fluctuations via the calibration curve, are discussed in detail. Biological validation of the proposed procedure is described by reference to experiments already well documented biochemically, such as the induction effect of reserpine on TH in the rat locus coeruleus and the depleting effect of alpha-methyltyrosine (AMPT), a well-known blocker of TH activity, on rat striatal DA content. Finally the importance of restricting the measurements to the (pseudo)linear portion of the calibration curve is illustrated by the autoradiographic identification of the differential intrastriatal repartition of the dopaminergic D1 and D2 receptor sites, particularly the dual patch-matrix compartments.

The metabolism of exogenous L-dopa in the brain: an immunohistochemical study of its conversion to dopamine in non-catecholaminergic cells of the rat brain

The characterization and localization of non-catecholaminergic cells producing dopamine after L-Dopa load have been investigated in the normal rat brain by a direct immunohistochemical labelling of amines using specific antibodies. The detection of dopamine-containing non-catecholaminergic cells has been achieved in rats given a commonly used mixture of L-Dopa plus peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor, and compared to controls. Results indicate that serotoninergic neurons tend toward a switch of their metabolism into dopamine production after L-Dopa load in a dose-dependent manner. In addition small non-aminergic cells, identified as aromatic amino-acid decarboxylase-containing cells, were observed to produce dopamine after exogenous L-Dopa load. Possible implications of such results concerning the mode of action of L-Dopa in the brain are discussed.

Monoaminergic interaction in the central nervous system: a morphological analysis in the locus coeruleus of the rat

The locus coeruleus of the rat is richly innervated by many aminergic neurons varying in amine content and in site of origin. There are adrenergic and noradrenergic neurons originating in the medulla oblongata, dopaminergic from the hypothalamus, serotonergic from the mesencephalon and also intrinsic noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus complex. Of these, adrenergic and dopaminergic inputs appear relatively specific and powerful.

Ultrastructural Double-Labelling Study of Dopamine Terminals and GABA-Containing Neurons in Rat Anteromedial Cerebral Cortex

The aim of this study was to identify, at the ultrastructural level, the neuronal targets of dopamine afferents to the medial prefrontal and the anterior cingulate cortex of the adult rat. Since, in addition to pyramidal neurons, the cortical neuronal population mainly consists of GABAergic nonpyramidal intrinsic neurons, the simultaneous visualization of both dopamine- and GABA-containing neurons should leave the pyramidal neurons as the only unlabelled dopamine postsynaptic target. In this context, we used a double labelling immunocytochemical procedure: a pre-embedding PAP immunostaining to visualize monoclonal conjugated-dopamine (DA) antibody, followed by postembedding immunogold staining with a polyclonal conjugated-GABA antibody. In a single section sampling of 369 DA-immunoreactive (DA-IR) varicosities observed and the GABA-containing elements, 75% of the DA-IR terminals showed no indication of any contact with a GABA neuron. Twenty-five per cent were found in nonsynaptic contiguity with a GABA-immunoreactive neuronal element: axon, dendrite or cell body. When a DA varicosity was in nonsynaptic contiguity with a neuronal perikaryon (5% of cases), this cell was GABA positive. Ten per cent of the DA varicosities were contiguous to a GABA axon, but axoaxonic synapses in either direction were never observed. A symmetrical synapse between a DA varicosity and a GABA-containing dendrite was observed only once. The other 13 DA-IR terminals exhibiting a clear synaptic junction were apposed to nonGABA-containing dendrites, spines and shafts. Triads were observed in which a DA varicosity, forming or not a symmetrical synapse, was apposed to an unlabelled dendrite already receiving a symmetrical junction from another unlabelled axon. These data confirm and extend previous results designating the pyramidal cell dendritic tree as the main synaptic target of DA cortical afferents in rat and primate cerebral cortex. However, a direct effect of dopamine on a subpopulation of intrinsic GABA neurons cannot be excluded.

Immunohistochemistry of endogenous L-DOPA in the rat posterior hypothalamus

The aim of this work was to study L-DOPA-containing neuronal structures of the rat posterior and dorsal hypothalamus by means of immunohistochemistry using antiserum against glutaraldehyde conjugated L-DOPA. Aspects and distribution of L-DOPA immunoreaction among cells of the supramammillary nucleus and the A11, A13c and A13 cell groups are described and compared to dopamine immunoreactivity, mainly through a double colored labelling procedure employing a color modification of the DAB reaction by metallic ions. Differences between L-DOPA and dopamine stainings within cell groups as the presence of cells with predominant or exclusive L-DOPA coloration are tentatively explained under the light of previous findings using immunohistochemistry of catecholamines synthesizing enzymes and catecholamines histofluorescence.

Simultaneous detection of tryptamine and dopamine in rat substantia nigra and raphe nuclei using specific antibodies

Using a double-labelling procedure, morphological relationships existing between dopaminergic and indoleaminergic neuronal systems in the rat brain were investigated. First, thanks to a tryptamine (T) antiserum, we visualized this indoleamine in all mesencephalic regions and showed that the T-immunoreactivity (IR) seems to overlap with the stainings observed from serotonin and 5-methoxytryptamine antisera. Secondly, using a monoclonal anti-dopamine (DA) antibody and our anti-T antibodies, the simultaneous and specific detection of these compounds enabled us to define the spatial relationships existing between the dopaminergic and tryptaminergic neuronal systems from the substantia nigra (SN) to the raphe nuclei. No co-localization existed, but the intensity of T-IR decreased from back to front, whereas the DA-staining decreased in the opposite way, indicating possible interactions at the end of the SN and the B9 area.