European Journal of Histochemistry (Jun 2009)
Tachykinin neuropeptides in cerebellar granule neurons: an immunocytochemical study
Abstract
We previously demonstrated that exogenously administered neurokinin A and neurokinin B, but not substance P, increased the sensitivity of cultured cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) to glutamate. In the present study, the presence of tachykinin neuropeptides in CGNs was tested by confocalbased immunofluorescence.We found that neurokinin A and neurokinin B are present in CGNs but absent in astrocytes. while substance P is abundant in astrocytes but absent in CGNs. It is postulated that the different localization of tachykinin neuropeptides in CGNs and astroglial cells has a physiological role in the modulation of excitatory transmission.