Analysis of the rat interpeduncular subnuclei by immunocytochemical double‐staining for enkephalin and substance P, with some reference to the coexistence of both peptides

Abstract

The rat interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) was immunocytochemically double-stained for enkephalin (ENK) and substance P (SP) on the same sections. On the basis of both peptidergic distribution patterns and topographic relationship, the IPN was divided into nine subnuclei and one cap: the rostral subnucleus (IP-R), the central subnucleus (IP-C), the rostral-lateral subnucleus (IP-RL), the main lateral subnucleus (IP-L), the caudal-lateral subnucleus (IP-CL), the dorsal-lateral subnucleus (IP-DL), the dorsal-medial subnucleus (IP-DM), the apical subnucleus (IP-A), the intermediate subnucleus (IP-I), and the dorsal cap (IP-Cap). As the descriptions of the IP-RL, IP-L, and IP-CL were inconsistent with previous reports, they were reevaluated; the IP-RL was proposed as the region situated in the lateral portion at rostral levels and characterized by the lack of ENK and SP immunoreactive structures, the IP-L as the region situated throughout the rostrocaudal extent in the lateral portion of the IPN and containing the highest density of SP immunoreactive fibers but no ENK immunoreactive fibers, and the IP-CL as the region situated just laterocaudal to the IP-L in the caudal pole of the IPN and containing ENK immunoreactive cells and fibers but no SP immunoreactive structures. Our results also showed that some cells in the IP-R have both ENK and SP immunoreactivity. This coexistence was observed in some small spherical cells of the IP-R, but rarely in larger oval-shaped cells, which occasionally showed only ENK immunoreactivity. In addition, paired ENK immunoreactive fiber bundles entering the IP-R were found to run just rostral to the paired SP immunoreactive columns, both of which composed parts of the interpedunculotegmental tract. A three-dimensional model representing the subnuclear organization of the IPN was proposed on the basis of the present results.