RESUMO
Contacts between monoaminergic fibers and electrophysiologically identified neurons of the ventral spinocerebellar tract were investigated in the cat. Five neurons were labeled intracellularly with rhodamine dextran, and monoaminergic fibers were revealed with antibodies against serotonin and dopamine beta-hydroxylase. The distribution of appositions between monoaminergic varicosities and the soma and the whole length of dendrites of these neurons was examined by using a three-channel confocal microscope. The analysis showed that close appositions between monoaminergic fibers and labeled processes occurred over the whole surface of the neurons. The highest percentage of such appositions was found on proximal dendrites, for both serotonin (37%) and noradrenaline (57%). The total number of serotoninergic contacts (66-134 per neuron) by far exceeded that of noradrenergic contacts (3-36 per neuron). Contacts between serotoninergic fibers and two neurons were analyzed by using electron microscopy. These neurons were labeled intracellularly with horseradish peroxidase, and serotoninergic varicosities were identified by immunocytochemistry. Six of 10 serially analyzed boutons in apposition to proximal dendrites were found to form morphologic synapses. The identification of the remaining four was inconclusive. These results indicate that many of the appositions seen in confocal microscopy may represent direct synaptic contacts. They also indicate that monoaminergic neurons may modulate activity of neurons of the ventral spinocerebellar tract by direct postsynaptic actions in addition to any effects evoked by means of volume transmission.