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Adrenergic neurons in the spinal cord of the pike (Esox lucius) and their relation to the caudal neurosecretory system

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Summary

The lower spinal cord including the caudal neurosecretory system of the pike (Esox lucius) was investigated by means of light and electron microscopy and also with the fluorescence histochemical method of Falck and Hillarp for the visualization of monoamines. A system of perikarya displaying a specific green fluorescence of remarkably high intensity is disclosed in the basal part of the ventrolateral and lateral ependymal lining of the central canal. The area corresponding to the upper half of the urophysis has most cells; their number decreases caudally and cranially. A considerable number of their beaded neurites reach the neurosecretory neurons by different routes but are only occasionally present in the actual neurohemal region. An intensely fluorescent dendritic process is sometimes observed terminating with a bulbous enlargement at the ependymal surface in the central canal. Besides small, electron lucid vesicles in the terminal parts of the axons, the neurons contain numerous large dense-core vesicles which can apparently take up and store 5-hydroxydopa (5-OH-dopa) and 5-hydroxydopamine (5-OH-DA). These neurons are thought to be adrenergic and to contain a primary catecholamine, possibly noradrenaline.

The varicosities of the adrenergic terminals are repeatedly observed contiguous to some of the neurosecretory axons, the membrane distance at places of contacts generally ranging from 150–200 Å. Another type of nerve terminals that contain only small empty vesicles, also after pretreatment with 5-OH-dopa or 5-OH-DA, are frequent among the neurosecretory neurons. These axons establish synaptic contacts with membrane thickenings on most of the neurosecretory neurons. Thus it seems that the neurosecretory neurons are innervated by neurons morphologically similar to cholinergic neurons and that part of them receive an adrenergic innervation, which supports the view hat the caudal neurosecretory cells do not constitute a functionally homogeneous population.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy and Neuroanatomy, University of Hamburg, Germany

    H. G. Baumgarten, B. Falck & H. Wartenberg

  2. Department of Histology, University of Lund, Sweden

    H. G. Baumgarten, B. Falck & H. Wartenberg

  3. Abteilung für Neuroanatomie, Universitätskrankenhaus Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, D-2000, Hamburg 20

    H. G. Baumgarten

Authors
  1. H. G. Baumgarten
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  2. B. Falck
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  3. H. Wartenberg
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Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the Joachim-Jungius Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften, Hamburg.

Supported by the Swedish Natural Research Council (No. 99-35). This work was in part carried out within a research organization sponsored by the Swedish Medical Research Council (Projects No. B70-14X-56-06 and B70-14X-712-05).

Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and USPHS Research Grant TW 00295-02.

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Baumgarten, H.G., Falck, B. & Wartenberg, H. Adrenergic neurons in the spinal cord of the pike (Esox lucius) and their relation to the caudal neurosecretory system. Z. Zellforsch. 107, 479–498 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00335436

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