The direct retinal projection to VIP neuronal elements in the rat SCN

Brain Res Bull. 1993;31(6):637-40. doi: 10.1016/0361-9230(93)90134-w.

Abstract

The connection between optic nerve terminals and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-containing neurons in the rat suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) was investigated using double labeling immunocytochemistry. Cholera toxin B subunit (CT) was injected into the right eyeball, and coronal sections of the SCN were then processed for CT immunocytochemistry with silver-gold intensification and VIP immunocytochemistry consecutively with DAB staining alone. In the ventrolateral portion of the SCN, CT immunoreactive (CT-IR) optic nerve terminals were found to make synaptic contacts not only with VIP-like immunoreactive (VIP-LI) dendrites, but also with VIP-LI perikarya. CT-IR nerve endings were also found to make synaptic contacts with non-VIP immunoreactive neuronal dendrites.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 3,3'-Diaminobenzidine
  • Animals
  • Cholera Toxin
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Male
  • Microscopy, Electron
  • Neural Pathways / anatomy & histology
  • Neural Pathways / chemistry
  • Neurons / chemistry*
  • Optic Nerve / chemistry
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Retina / chemistry*
  • Suprachiasmatic Nucleus / chemistry*
  • Suprachiasmatic Nucleus / cytology
  • Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / analysis*

Substances

  • 3,3'-Diaminobenzidine
  • Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide
  • Cholera Toxin