Quantitative studies on the supraoptic nucleus in the rat. I. Synaptic organization.

Four types of synapses: axo-axonic, axo-dendritic, axon-spine, and axo-somatic were distinguished in the supraoptic nucleus in the rat. The density of synaptic terminals (boutons) in this nucleus is 35.17-10(6)/mm3 hence there are over 5 million boutons on each side, and on the average 596 per neuron. Only about one third of the axon terminals in this nucleus originate outside the nucleus and its immediate neighbourhood. Two thirds appear to be of intranuclear or otherwise of local origin. This could be explained by assuming either numerous intranuclear axon collaterals or interneurons having richly arborizing axons, or possibly both.