Some cellular characteristics of somatostatin neurons and terminals in the periventricular nucleus of the rat hypothalamus and median eminence. Electron microscopic immunohistochemistry.

Somatostatin neuronal perikarya and their processes, presumably dendrites, in the periventricular nucleus of the rat hypothalamus and terminals in the median eminence were observed by electron microscopic immunohistochemistry. Neuronal perikarya and processes contained immunoreactive dense granules (100-120 nm in diameter) and other cellular components such as polysomes, rER membranes occasionally showed high electron density. Few axo-somatic terminals were found on the somatostatin neurons, but we could detect a number of preterminal axons on immunoreactive processes, presumably dendrites. Therefore, we considered that somatostatin neurons receive mainly neuronal input through axo-dendritic synapses rather than through axo-somatic ones. In the somatostatin terminals in the external layer of the median eminence immunoreactivity was completely restricted on the granules.