A comparison between wheat germ agglutinin-and choleragenoid-horseradish peroxidase as anterogradely transported markers in central branches of primary sensory neurones in the rat with some observations in the cat.

Horseradish peroxidase conjugates of either the lectin wheat germ agglutinin or choleragenoid, the binding subunit of cholera toxin, were injected into the L5 spinal ganglion of adult rats. This enabled comparison of these two conjugates as anterograde tracers in the primary sensory system. After a postoperative survival of 4 h to 30 days, the rats were perfused and frozen sections from spinal and medullary regions receiving primary afferents were processed for horseradish peroxidase histochemistry with tetramethylbenzidine as the chromogen. Additional observations were made in two adult cats. Following injection of wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase the labelling appeared mostly as small-sized granules. The concentration of labelled primary afferents in the grey matter of the spinal cord was greatest in the marginal zone and the substantia gelatinosa and less pronounced in the deep parts of the dorsal horn. Labelling was also found in a region lateral to the central canal and in the ventral horn. Following injection of choleragenoid-horseradish peroxidase the labelling appeared mainly as larger-sized granular profiles. The concentration of labelled primary afferents was greatest in the deep part of the dorsal horn and pronounced in a region lateral to the central canal and in the ventral horn. All these regions are known to receive large calibre fibres. The marginal zone and the substantia gelatinosa, known to receive fine calibre fibres, showed almost no labelling in the rat. In the cat, however, there was somewhat more labelling in the substantia gelatinosa. Labelling of neuronal cell bodies indicating transneuronal transport was seen after injection of wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase. Transneuronal labelling did not seem to occur after injection of choleragenoid-horseradish peroxidase. The present findings show that wheat germ agglutinin-and choleragenoid-horseradish peroxidase give rise to markedly different labelling patterns. A possible explanation for the different labelling in the marginal zone and substantia gelatinosa could be that certain primary sensory neurones lack either receptors for choleragenoid on their neuronal plasma membrane or the ability to transport the choleragenoid-horseradish peroxidase complex.