Substance P-like immunoreactive neurons in the tuberoinfundibular area of rat hypothalamus. Light and electron microscopy.

Immunoreactive substance P (ir SP) neurons were examined with special reference to their links with other neurons and blood vessels in the tuberoinfundibular hypothalamic area of normal and colchicine-treated male rats. On intraventricular administration of colchicine, ir SP neuronal cell bodies appeared in both the arcuate nucleus and the ventral portion of the ventromedial nucleus. These ir fibers were seen in the nuclei of untreated animals closely surrounding ir methionine-enkephalin and ACTH cell bodies, suggesting the presence of synaptic junctions. Electron microscopic examination of the arcuate nucleus stained with anti-SP serum showed synapses of ir SP fiber terminals on unlabeled neuronal cell bodies and fibers, some of which might be methionine-enkephalin and ACTH neurons. The ir fiber terminals contained numerous small clear and/or cored vesicles and a few large cored vesicles. Fiber terminals with the same ultrastructural characteristics were seen protruding into the pericapillary space in the external and subependymal layers of the median eminence. The possible role of the SP neurons in the tuberoinfundibular area is discussed.