Glycine immunoreactivity in the brainstem auditory and vestibular nuclei of the guinea pig.

An immunohistochemical study was performed on the brainstem of the guinea pig, using a specific antibody against glycine. Glycine-like immunoreactivity was observed in stellate and multipolar neurons in the cochlear nucleus, in the medial and lateral nuclei of the trapezoid body and in the ventromedial periolivary cell group. No immunoreactive neurons were found in the vestibular nuclei. Positive fibre tracts were observed mainly in dorsal acoustic stria and lateral lemniscus. The results are consistent with electrophysiological and anatomical data from the literature concerning the response pattern in the fusiform layer of the dorsal cochlear nucleus and the phenomenon of binaural inhibition in the superior olivary complex.