The distribution of enkephalin-immunoreactive cell bodies in the rat central nervous system.

With the indirect immunofluorescence technique the distribution of methionine-enkephalin-immunoreactive cell bodies was studied in the central nervous system of rats pretreated with colchicine. The antiserum used did cross-react to 10% with leucine-enkephalin but to less than 0.1% with alpha-, beta-, and gamma-endorphine. Cell bodies with a specific immunofluorescence were observed in the tel-, di-, mes- and rhombencephalon and in the spinal cord.