NEUROPEPTIDE-Y INNERVATION OF ACTH-IMMUNOREACTIVE NEURONS IN THE ARCUATE NUCLEUS OF RATS - A CORRELATED LIGHT AND ELECTRON-MICROSCOPIC DOUBLE IMMUNOLABELING STUDY

A fairly high number of neuropeptide Y (NPY) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) immunoreactive (ir) neuronal perikarya and dense networks of NPY-ir fibers are present in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus of rats. Light and electron microscopic double immunolabeling techniques were used to demonstrate morphological connections between NPY-ir nerve fibers and ACTH-ir neurons here. Silver-gold intensified diaminobenzidine (DAB) labeling of perikaryal-dendritic immunoreactivity followed by a second, non-intensified DAB chromagen labeling of immunoreactive nerve terminals was used and recommended in the above sequence as a method of choice for the detection of synaptic contacts with double-labeling technique. By this way, NPY-immunoreactivity was localized in axons and axonal terminals forming a variety of conventional synaptic contacts with ACTH-ir neuronal perikarya and dendrites in the arcuate nucleus. © 1990.