REMARKABLE BETA-ENDORPHINERGIC INNERVATION OF HUMAN CEREBRAL-CORTEX AS REVEALED BY IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY

Citation
Hg. Bernstein et al., REMARKABLE BETA-ENDORPHINERGIC INNERVATION OF HUMAN CEREBRAL-CORTEX AS REVEALED BY IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY, Neuroscience letters, 215(1), 1996, pp. 33-36
Citations number
23
Categorie Soggetti
Neurosciences
Journal title
ISSN journal
03043940
Volume
215
Issue
1
Year of publication
1996
Pages
33 - 36
Database
ISI
SICI code
0304-3940(1996)215:1<33:RBIOHC>2.0.ZU;2-B
Abstract
beta-Endorphin immunoreactivity has been localized in 12 regions of th e post mortem human cerebral cortex by using a polyclonal antiserum sp ecifically recognizing the peptide. Cell bodies and proximal dendrites of certain cortical neurons (mostly interneurons) were densely popula ted with nerve endings immunoreactive for beta-endorphin. These 'endor phinoceptive' nerve cells were most abundantly present in the cingulat e cortex as well as in the Gyri frontales superior and medius. In othe r cortical areas they appeared with much lower frequency (Gyri ambiens , semilunaris, parahippocampalis, temporalis). Our data show that the human cerebral cortex receives an endorphinergic innervation which mig ht be of potential interest with regard to certain neuropsychiatric an d neurodegenerative disorders.