An investigation of the foetal rat spinal cord. II. An ultrastructural study on the development of synapses with the aid of observations on some electrophysiological properties.

Electrophysiological and ultrastructural studies were carried out on foetal rat spinal cord. The electrophysiological observations allowed certain identification of the site of second order sensory neurones, regions of the most functionally mature ventral horn cells and the adequacy of reflex conduction at 18 days. In the ultrastructural studies we made use of these identifications. No definitive synapses were found at 13-14.5 days in dorsal and ventral horn neuropil though some possible precursors were seen. Immature axodendritic synapses are found first in both dorsal and ventral marginal zones at 14.5 days and in both dorsal and ventral neuropil regions at 15-16 days. At 17 days there is an abrupt increase in frequency and maturity of synaptic profiles in all regions; synapses containing pleomorphic populations of vesicles are first seen in the ventral horn neuropil at this age as rare axo-somatic synapses. At 18 days the synapses population increases and multiple contacts involving axons or dendrites commonly occur. Furthermore, axo-somatic synapses are seen for the first time in the dorsal horn. From 20 days onwards mature synapses were commonplace and all earlier stages can be found. In addition axo-dendritic synapses with pleomorphic populations of vesicles were first seen in the dorsal horn. Axo-somatic synapses in the dorsal horn remained immature in appearance at this time. These findings are discussed particularly in relationship to previous studies by others on the development of motility in the rat. It appears that in the rat lumbar cord, onset of formation of different synapse types in specific locations precedes the onset of possible related functions by 1-2 days.