Quantitative Analysis of Tyrosine Hydroxylase-, Aromatic L-Amino Acid Decarboxylase- or Phenylethanolamine-N-Methyltransferase- Immunoreactive Neurons in the Human Medullary CI Region

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Tyrosine hydroxylase(TH)is the first step and rate-limiting catecholamine-synthesizing enzyme. Recently, TH neurons lacking higher step catecholamine-synthesizing enzyme(s)have been described in several regions of the human brain. The present study was conducted to examine whether such non-catecholaminergic TH neurons exist in the human medullary Cl adrenergic region. We quantitatively analyzed neurons immunoreactive for TH, aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase(AADC)or phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase(PNMT)in the Cl region of four autopsy cases(24-64y. o., both sexes), all without detectable neurological and psychiatric diseases. In all of the cases, the numbers of TH-immunoreactive(-ir)neurons were largest. The numbers of AADC-ir neurons were generally larger than those of PNMT-ir neurons. Double staining of TH and PNMT confirmbd the existence of TH(+)/PNMT(+)neurons and TH(+)/ PNMT(-)neurons. It is indicated that the human Cl adrenergic region contained noncatecholaminergic TH neurons, the significance of which remains to be elucidated.
日本組織細胞化学会の論文