Distribution of pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) immunoreactive elements in the brain stem of rats studied by immunohistochemistry.

In the present work the distribution of pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) immunoreactive elements in rat brain stem were described using immunohistochemistry. The following structures were PACAP immunoreactive: 1. The dorsomedial and ventrolateral cell columns of the motor nuclei of cranial nerves. 2. Primary somatosensory cells in the mesencephalic nucleus of the trigeminal nerve and central axons of the branchial cranial nerves in the spinal trigeminal tract. 3. Visceral afferent fibers in the solitary tract and cell bodies in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus. 4. Second and third order sensory neurons of the cochlear and vestibular systems. 5. Scattered fibers in various regions of the brain stem and well-defined fiber bundles in the interpeduncular area. 6. Cell bodies in the red nucleus, substantia niga, in some cell groups of the reticular formation and in the raphe nuclei, as well as in the pontine dorsolateral tegmentum.