MORPHOLOGICAL DEMONSTRATION OF NON-SYNAPTIC RELEASE OF SUBSTANCE P IN RAT / 解剖学报

ABSTRACT

Previous studies have demonstrated that exocytotic release from large dense cored vesicle(LDV)at structurally non-specialized areas within axon terminal of the medullary dorsal horn and it has been speculated that non-synaptic exocytosis from LDV may be a probable mechanism for neuropeptide release. This study provides the evidence that SP containing LDV can release their contents by exocytosis at non-synaptic sites of axon terminal within superficial dorsal horn of medulla oblongata in the rat with ultrastructural immunohistochemistry staining by an unilateral deafferentation. The results of this study confirmed previous hypothesis that SP and perhaps other peptides containing LDV release their contents by exocytosis at non-specialized sites and the significance of such release is discussed.