大鼠延髓后角神经降压肽(NT)的亚细胞定位和胞吐释放

神经降压肽(NT)广泛分布于哺乳动物的中枢神经系统,具有明显的镇痛作用,为了探索其镇痛机理的形态学基础,本文应用电镜免疫组化技术,对大鼠延髓后角NT的超微结构和胞吐释放进行了研究。超微结构显示延髓后角浅层NT轴突终末形态多样,大小不一,含有圆形或多形性清亮小泡及数量不等的大颗粒小泡,它们主要与未标记的树突形成轴-树突触,其突触后成分有的还含有少量清亮小泡。NT免疫反应阳性树突可分为两类:一类主要含微管;另一类主要含大颗粒小泡,有的尚可见少量清亮小泡。这两类NT树突可成为未标记的含圆形小泡终末、多形性小泡终末以及突触小球中央轴突终末的突触后成分,提示后角浅层NT神经元可接受不同种类轴突终末(包括一级伤害性传入纤维)的传入(?)动,然后可能再通过一个抑制性中间神经元,抑制痛觉的传递。本文还观察到有少量NT终末内的大颗粒小泡靠近突触活性区处,而更多见它们沿非突触部位轴膜分布,并与其融合,形成胞吐。本文认为NT既可在突触活性区处又可能在非突触部位释放。     

延髓后角脑啡肽超微结构定位和非突触部位释放——脑啡肽突触前抑制痛觉传递的形态学基础

阿片肽在后角镇痛的作用机理,被认为是通过突触前抑制一级传入纤维P物质释放的结果,然而始终未获得形态学的证实。鉴于一级传入纤维存在大量阿片受体的事实,曾提出阿片肽突触前抑制可能是通过非突触的轴-轴作用。为了验证这一设想,本文用免疫组化方法,详细观察了大鼠延髓后角浅层亮氨酸脑啡肽(L-ENK)轴突终末的突触结构和胞吐释放。电镜观察显示,延髓后角ENK终末可分为两类,第一类终末除了含圆形小清亮囊泡外,还有较多的大颗粒小泡(一般7个以上),主要分布于Ⅰ层,很少看到此类终末形成突触;第二类终末,一般含较多圆形清亮小泡和少量大颗粒小泡(一般不超过3个),它们分布于Ⅰ层和Ⅱ层,此类终末主要形成轴-树突触和少量的轴-体突触。只见到一例轴-轴突触,其突触后成分为未标记的R型终末,此外还见到ENK阳性树突成为中央终末的突触后成分。在去传入神经条件下,上述各类终末皆可见到ENK阳性大颗粒小泡的胞吐形成,它们皆位于非突触区,而在突触部位可见到清亮小泡胞吐像,上述结果提示后角ENK非突触部位释放可能是哭触后抑制一级传入纤维P物质释放的形态学基础。     

三叉神经尾侧亚核大颗粒小泡的非突触部位胞吐及膜再循环的形态观察

在切除大鼠刚髭部皮肤的刺激下,从常规醛-锇酸固定的三叉神经脊束核尾侧亚核的超薄切片中观察到:1.大颗粒小泡轴突终末非突触部位的胞吐影像;2.含致密物质的大有衣小泡,由终末质膜内陷而成,提示大颗粒小泡在终末通过有衣小泡进行膜再循环;3.大颗粒小泡也可由含致密物质的平滑内质网样的管状结构形成。本研究支持大颗粒小泡在非突触部位,通过胞吐释放递质或神经调节物的假说。     

与眶下神经相关的初级传入纤维终末的溃变、非突触部位胞吐及突触联系

切断眶下神经的各组大鼠存活2～30天后分别杀死,于其三叉神经尾侧脊束核胶状质亚核内观察了一级传入纤维轴突终末的溃变过程.非突触部位胞吐及突触联系.结果发现:(1)眶下神经的跨节溃变、以突触小泡聚集、融合、空泡形成为主要特征,无微丝增生现象:(2)部分溃变终末内的线粒体明显肿胀变暗.呈球形改变:(3)大致密核心小泡的溃变时间远滞后于突触小泡.两者并不同步进行;(4)轴突终未在溃变过程中,其内的大致密核心小泡仍然进行非突触部位胞吐;(5)溃变纤维终末于胶状质内分别形成轴一树、轴一体、轴一轴三种类型的突触、并参与了突触复合体的形成.     

针刺镇痛中大致密核心小泡非突触部位的胞吐及胞吐过程的研究

本文首次采用形态与机能相结合的方法研究了大致密核心小泡(LDV)非突触部位的胞吐和胞吐的动态过程。电镜下观察了在针刺镇痛中三叉神经尾侧脊束核胶状质亚核内出现的各阶段的胞吐影像。据此认为,胞吐是按下列过程连续进行的:1.LDV趋近并伸出一细颈与质膜接触、融合,融合后形成只有一层单位膜的隔,进而隔部分地开放,小的通道形成。2.通道进一步扩大,此时LDV是典型的“Ω”断面像,递质开始排入细胞间隙。3.随通道的进一步扩大,LDV内腔完全开放于细胞间隙,成为间隙的一部分。4.LDV的膜并入终末质膜,仅呈弧形弯曲,其凹侧仍留有少量致密物质,随胞吐物质的弥散,弯曲部分的质膜展平,胞吐的痕迹消失。在针刺镇痛过程中,实验组动物出现的非突触部位胞吐影像比对照组明显增多,两组间的差异非常显著(P<0.01),从而有力地说明与痛觉相关的神经元主要是通过非突触部位胞吐LDV内的递质而参与镇痛过程的。本研究为进一步揭示针刺镇痛机理提供了形态学依据,同时也有力地支持了LDV非突触部位胞吐可能是神经肽释放的主要方式的学说。     

大鼠三叉神经脊束核尾侧亚核胶状质非小球突触成分

用透射电镜观察了大鼠三叉神经脊束核尾侧亚核胶状质神经毡非小球的突触成分。非小球的突触大部分为轴树突触,此外还见到轴轴、树树及树轴突触。它们的轴突终末成分,按所含小泡的形状,区分为圆形小泡终末、扁平小泡终末、多形小泡终末及大颗粒小泡终末。圆形小泡终末根据小泡的大小又有大圆形小泡终末及小圆形小泡终末。本文还讨论了突触分类及各种轴突终末的机能意义。     

三叉神经尾侧脊束核内突触的亚显微结构

在电镜下观察家兔和小白鼠三叉神经尾侧脊束核,于突触前膜上可见突触活性点;在突触前,后膜上有致密物质堆积,尤以突触后膜显著,偶尔在后膜下方的胞浆面见有突触下致密小体。在突触裂之间可见突触间丝。突触小泡有圆形和椭圆形、透明与颗粒小泡之分。尾侧脊束核内有大量轴突终末与树突。树突又分Ⅰ型(无突触小泡)和Ⅱ型(有少量突触小泡)。该核内的突触类型多数为轴-树突触,其次为轴-体突触和轴-轴突触,还见有树-树突触;按照突触小泡形状区分该核突触,则有 S 型、F 型、S-F 型与 F-S 型。突触丝球出现率为20%。本文讨论了突触类型、突触丝球与突触小泡的机能意义。     

应用单宁酸增加致密核心小泡电子密度的研究

对如何应用单宁酸提高密核心小泡电子密度进行了研究，结果发现实验组动物应用单宁酸后，其延髓背角胶状质的超微结构出现了如下特征性变化；（１）膜结构清晰度增加，反差鲜明；（２）大、小致密核心小泡均被媒染，其电子密度显著提高、大致密核心小泡于突触部位胞吐入细胞间隙内的介质，被即时媒染、固定。     

脊髓侧角区5-HT、TH、SP和L-ENK免疫反应纤维和终末的超微结构

本文应用免疫细胞化学ABC法,在电镜下观察脊髓侧角区单胺能和某些肽能纤维及末梢的突触组合。大鼠侧角内的5-HT、TH、SP和L-ENK免疫反应纤维均为无髓纤维。在侧角细胞簇内,这些纤维穿行于胞体之间,有的与胞体相邻,但很少与胞体形成轴-体突触。这些单胺和肽类纤维也与树突伴行,在树突束内数量最多。有时一小束无髓纤维都含同一种免疫反应物质。轴-树突触是各种免疫反应纤维终末所形成突触的主要形式。各种纤维终末所含的小泡多为圆清亮小泡,或兼有少数大颗粒泡。SP和L-ENK纤维膨体内的小泡与其终末内者不同,大颗粒泡较多,有时约占半数。各种免疫反应终末所组成参与的突触,对称或非对称型均不显现优势。     

电针对大鼠三叉神经尾侧脊束核内P物质影响的免疫及超微免疫细胞化学研究

用免疫细胞化学及免疫电镜方法研究了电针对大鼠三叉神经尾侧脊束核内ＳＰ的影响以及含ＳＰ的轴突终末的突触联系。结果表明,电针大鼠“人中”、“承浆”穴后痛阈明显提高（Ｐ＜０．０１）,三叉神经尾侧脊束核内ＳＰ免疫反应活性也较对照组明显增加（Ｐ＜０．０１）。三叉神经尾侧脊束核内含ＳＰ轴突终末内含有密集的清亮透明小泡、少量大颗粒小泡及线粒体,轴突终末内的ＳＰ免疫反应产物分布于大颗粒小泡内和清亮小泡壁上。含ＳＰ的轴突终末主要与三叉神经尾侧脊束核内神经元的树突形成轴－树突触;极少数ＳＰ阴性轴突终末与ＳＰ阳性轴突形成轴－轴突触或接触。电针可能通过轴－轴突触的突触前抑制方式,抑制了三叉神经初级传入细纤维ＳＰ的释放,从而参与针刺镇痛过程。     

Exocytosis from large dense cored vesicles outside the active synaptic zones of terminals within the trigeminal subnucleus caudalis: a possible mechanism for neuropeptide release

It has been hypothesized that chemical interactions between neurons in the central nervous system can occur in the absence of well defined synaptic complexes, but morphological correlates have been difficult to find. The present study demonstrates exocytotic release from large (70-130 nm) dense cored vesicles at structurally nonspecialized areas along the plasmalemma of structurally different categories of terminals and occasionally from dendrites and axons within the neuropil of the trigeminal subnucleus caudalis. In rats, the marginal (lamina I) and substantia gelatinosa (lamina II) layers contain the central terminals of primary afferent fibers from the infraorbital nerve that supply the skin and whiskers (vibrissae). Different types of interneurons are also present and may modify the input being relayed to higher centers. While exocytotic profiles were present in control animals, they increased significantly (P less than 0.01) on the ipsilateral side 1-24 h after a unilateral skin lesion in the vibrissae area. A second increase (P less than 0.001) occurred 14-15 days after the lesion. Virtually all examples of large vesicle exocytosis were observed at structurally nonspecialized sites while those at the active synaptic zones involved small clear vesicles. Substance P-like immunofluorescence, present in controls and on the ipsilateral side during the first 6 days, subsequently declined until 4 weeks after surgery when some recovery was noted. The increase in large vesicle exocytosis and the decrease in substance P are interpreted to reflect functional adjustments of different neurons in response to the lesion. The exocytosis involving large dense cored vesicles may serve to deliver transmitters and/or neuropeptide modulators to appropriate receptors in a wider area than release into a specialized synaptic cleft would allow.     

The action of capsaicin on primary afferent central terminals in the superficial dorsal horn of newborn mice

Capsaicin was injected subcutaneously (50 mg/kg) into 10 mice on days 2 or 3 after birth, and 12 h, 3 and 5 days later the distribution and structure of degenerated primary afferent central axons or terminals (C-terminals) in the lumbar spinal dorsal horn were examined by electron microscopy. Degenerated terminal axons with dense or lamellar bodies or higher electron density were conspicuous 12 h after treatment with capsaicin. Severely degenerated unmyelinated axons, including dense or lamellar bodies engulfed by microglial cells, were numerous in the most superficial (marginal) layer, but rarely seen in the substantia gelatinosa. Two types of primary afferent central terminals in the substantia gelatinosa showed various extents of degeneration: small dark C-terminals (CI-terminals) with densely packed agranular synaptic vesicles, and large light ones (CII-terminals) with less dense agranular synaptic vesicles and a few granular synaptic vesicles. Thus, many central axon terminals of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons that are sensitive to capsaicin enter the marginal layer and substantia gelatinosa. Degenerated primary afferent central axons or terminals markedly decreased in the superficial dorsal horn 3 and 5 days after capsaicin treatment, still, there were many degenerating DRG neurons at this time as shown by our previous study. Previously we also reported that fewer slightly degenerating unmyelinated dorsal root axons and small DRG neurons appear at 12 h and larger DRG neurons degenerate later than smaller ones after treatment with capsaicin. As a result, the discovery of many severely degenerated terminal axons in the superficial dorsal horn soon after treatment supports the idea that capsaicin first acts on the central terminals and that this is followed by damage to larger DRG neurons.     

Ultrastructural visualization of glutamate and aspartate immunoreactivities in the rat dorsal horn, with special reference to the co-localization of glutamate, substance P and calcitonin-gene related peptide.

Antisera raised against the fixation products of L-glutamate and L-aspartate were used, singly or in combination, to study the ultrastructural localization of the amino acids in the rat dorsal horn, with post-embedding immunogold techniques. Immunostaining for each of the amino acids was also combined with immunolocalization of GABA, an important inhibitory neurotransmitter in the spinal cord, or synaptophysin, a synaptic vesicle glycoprotein. In addition, we examined the localization of glutamate immunoreactivity in relation to that of calcitonin-gene related peptide and substance P, two neuropeptides present in high concentrations in the dorsal horn. Glutamate- and aspartate-immunoreactive neuronal cell bodies, dendrites, axons and terminals were apparent in the first three laminae of the dorsal horn. In somatic and dendritic profiles, the immunolabel was present over the general cytoplasm and mitochondria; in the terminals, it was found over small, agranular vesicles, mitochondria and, at times, synaptic densities. Quantitative estimation indicated that the colloidal gold density in the glutamate-immunoreactive terminals was five-fold more than in any other neuronal profile. Both glutamate- and aspartate-immunopositive terminals made asymmetric synaptic contacts onto unlabelled dendrites; glutamate-positive terminals often formed the core of type I and II glomeruli. After double labelling of the same sections, glutamate and aspartate immunoreactivities consistently occurred in different axonal and terminal profiles. In these preparations, it was clearly seen that glutamate-immunoreactive terminals were far more numerous than (more than 10-fold) those immunoreactive for aspartate. Double labelling for glutamate or aspartate and GABA also revealed distinct staining of different terminals. Simultaneous immunolocalization of each of the amino acids and synaptophysin showed the amino acid and glycoprotein immunoreactivities co-localized in small, agranular vesicles in immunoreactive terminals. Finally, triple labelling of the same sections for glutamate, calcitonin gene-related peptide and substance P revealed that glutamate was often co-localized with either of the two neuropeptides in the same axonal boutons; terminals that showed simultaneous labelling for glutamate, calcitonin gene-related peptide and substance P were also noted. In all cases, the glutamate immunoreactivity was restricted to small, clear vesicles whereas the neuropeptide immunoreactivities were present in larger, dense-cored vesicles. Our observations demonstrate that there is an abundant glutamate immunoreactivity in the superficial layers of the rat dorsal horn, localized in neuronal profiles distinct from those containing aspartate or GABA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Light microscopic and ultrastructural localization of immunoreactive substance P in the dorsal horn of monkey spinal cord

Light- and electron-microscopic localization of substance P in the monkey spinal cord was studied by the peroxidase anti-peroxidase technique with the particular aim of examining types of interactions made by substance P-positive boutons with other neuronal elements in the dorsal horn. By light-microscopy dense labeling for immunoreactive substance P was found in laminae I, II (outer zone) and V (lateral region), consistent with findings in other mammalian species. By electron-microscopy, substance P-positive staining was mostly in unmyelinated and in some thinly myelinated small diameter fibers. Substance P-positive terminals contained both large granular vesicles (80-120 nm diameter), which were filled with reaction product, and clear round vesicles (40-60 nm). Substance P-positive large granular vesicles were sometimes observed near presynaptic sites and in contact with dense projection there. Immunoreactive substance P boutons were small to large in size (1-4 micron), formed synapses with somata and large dendrites and were the central axons of synaptic glomeruli where they were in synaptic contact with numerous small dendrites and spines. Substance P-labeled axons frequently formed synapses with dorsal horn neurons which were also postsynaptic to other types of axons. Substance P-positive profiles participated in numerous puncta adhaerentia with unlabeled cell bodies, dendrites and axons. Only rarely, some suggestive evidence was obtained indicating that axons might synapse onto substance P-containing boutons. Biochemical analysis of monkey spinal cord tissue extracts, undertaken to characterize more precisely the immunoreactive substances, indicated that only substance P and its oxide derivative were detected with the antiserum used in the immunocytochemistry. These morphological findings show that substance P is contained within a class of axon terminals, many of which have been shown previously in the monkey to originate from the dorsal root. The results suggest that modulation of substance P primary afferents terminating in the outer dorsal laminae of the monkey spinal cord occurs in part via axonal inputs onto dorsal horn neurons postsynaptic to the primary afferent.     

Opioid neurons and pain modulation: an ultrastructural analysis of enkephalin in cat superficial dorsal horn

To clarify the circuitry through which opioid compounds modulate spinal and trigeminal nociceptive transmission, we have examined the synaptic associations formed by leucine-enkephalin-containing (enkephalin) neurons in the superficial dorsal horn of the cat. As described previously, punctate enkephalin immunoreactivity is concentrated in the marginal layer (lamina I) and in both the outer and inner layers of the substantia gelatinosa (lamina IIo and IIi). In colchicine treated cats, enkephalin perikarya are most numerous in lamina I and at the border between laminae I and II. Ultrastructural analysis reveals that enkephalin cells receive a diverse afferent input. The majority of afferent inputs are presynaptic to the enkephalin dendrites; few axosomatic synapses are seen. Among these presynaptic axonal profiles are unlabeled axons which resemble primary afferent terminals, including the characteristic central axonal varicosity. Enkephalin dendrites are also postsynaptic to enkephalin immunoreactive axons. Two types of enkephalin axonal profiles appear in the superficial dorsal horn. Class I profiles are only found in lamina I. These are large profiles which form few synapses; those synapses made are axodendritic. Class II enkephalin axons are smaller and are distributed in both layers I and II. While Class II axons most commonly form axo-dendritic synapses, they also form axo-axonic synapses with flat vesicle-containing profiles; the latter are generally presynaptic to the enkephalin terminals. Serial analysis further revealed that both the enkephalin and the flat vesicle-containing profile synapse onto a common dendrite. Although enkephalin axons frequently lie adjacent to round vesicle-containing profiles, anatomical evidence that opioid axons form synapses with this type of ending was not found. An additional type of enkephalin vesicle containing-profile is found in layer IIi; its morphological features do not clearly distinguish its axonal or dendritic origin. These endings are typically postsynaptic to unlabelled central endings, and provide minimal presynaptic input to other elements in the neuropil. Like some class II axons, these labelled profiles contain vesicles which cluster at the membrane immediately adjacent to unlabelled central axons. These results indicate that spinal enkephalin neurons receive a variety of synaptic inputs. These include inputs which may derive from primary afferent axons. Enkephalin neurons, in turn, influence nociceptive transmission predominantly through postsynaptic mechanisms. Finally, while we did not observe enkephalin terminals presynaptic in an axoaxonic relationship, the possibility that enkephalin neurons modulate the excitability of fine fiber nociceptive and nonnociceptive afferents via "nonsynaptic interactions" is discussed.