Reinnervation of dopamine neurons by regenerating serotonin axons in the rat medial zona incerta. A combined radioautographic and immunocytochemical ultrastructural study.

Cellular relationships between serotonin (5-HT) axons and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-containing neurons were examined by combined (3H)5-HT uptake radioautography and TH immunocytochemistry in the medial zona incerta (ZI) of adult rats, 7 and 50 days after an intracerebral injection of 5,7-Dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT). Seven days post-lesion, only rare, scattered (3H)5-HT-labeled axon terminals were apparent in the zone of the medial ZI accessible to intraventricularly injected (3H)5-HT. In contrast, in sham-injected animals (3H)5-HT-labeled varicosities were numerous and often observed adjacent to TH-immunoreactive perikarya and dendrites. Fifty days post 5,7-DHT injection, the density of (3H)5-HT-labeled terminals approximated that seen in sham-treated animals. At the ultrastructural level, these regenerated 5-HT axons were similar in size, shape and content to those observed in sham-operated rats. Also, as in sham, some of the (3H)5-HT-labeled axons were directly apposed to TH-immunopositive labeled profiles. The latter included large dendritic shafts and dendritic spines, but only rare perikarya. In both sham- and 5,7-DHT-treated animals a few of the contacts between (3H)5-HT-labeled and TH-immunoreactive profiles exhibited an asymmetric synaptic differentiation. These results indicate that 5-HT fibers in the medial ZI, following regeneration, can reestablish normal relationships and even synapses with a given population of chemically identified cells.