Morphological characteristics of the synaptic structures of substance P-immunoreactive terminals in the marginal division of the rat striatum

In the present study,the morphological characteristics of the synaptic structure(MCSS)of the substance P immunoreactive(SPIR)teminals in the marginal division(MrD)of the ratstriatum were studied by using electron microscopy and immunocytochemistry.Four major typesof SPIR symnapses were identified in teh MrD.axodendritic,axo-spinous,axo-axonic,and com-pound.Axo-dendritic and axo-spinous synapses were more common,and a few axo-axonic andcompound synapses wer observed as well.In the postsynaptic target zones of axo-dendritic,andaxo-spinous synapses,there were small or large dendrites or spires.Some synapses with morethan two synaptic components are referred to as compound synapses.Both symmetric andasymmetric SPIR synapses were seen in the MrD.The vesicles in the SPIR presynaptic boutonswere mostly pleomorphic although a few of them were round,The MCSS distinguishes theultrastructure of the MrD from that of the other part of striatum,which suggests that the func-tion of the MrD may be different from that of the rest of the striatum.

Morphological characteristics of the synaptic structures of substance P-immunoreactive terminals in the marginal division of the rat striatum

In the present study,the morphological characteristics of the synaptic structure(MCSS) of the substance P immunoreactive(SPIR)teminals in the marginal division(MrD)of the rat striatum were studied by using electron microscopy and immunocytochemistry.Four major types of SPIR symnapses were identified in teh MrD.axodendritic,axo-spinous,axo-axonic,and com- pound.Axo-dendritic and axo-spinous synapses were more common,and a few axo-axonic and compound synapses wer observed as well.In the postsynaptic target zones of axo-dendritic,and axo-spinous synapses,there were small or large dendrites or spires.Some synapses with more than two synaptic components are referred to as compound synapses.Both symmetric and asymmetric SPIR synapses were seen in the MrD.The vesicles in the SPIR presynaptic boutons were mostly pleomorphic although a few of them were round,The MCSS distinguishes the ultrastructure of the MrD from that of the other part of striatum,which suggests that the func- tion of the MrD may be different from that of the rest of the striatum.