IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY ON THE COEXISTENCE OF ENKEPHALIN AND SOMATOSTATIN IN AMACRINE CELLS OF THE CHICKEN RETINA / 解剖学报

ABSTRACT

The immunohistochemical single and double label techniques were used to study the localization and coexistence of immunoreaetive enkephalin (ENK) and somatostatin (SOM) in amacrine cells of the chicken retina. The single label experiments showed that certain SOM-immunoreactive amacrine cells are similar in morphology, location in the inner nuclear layer (INL) and the manner of processes ramified in the inner plexiform layer (IPL) to some ENK-immunoreactive amacrine cells, although the plexus of SOM-immunoreactive processes in sublamina 3 and 4 were not as dense as ENK-immunoreactive plexus and SOM-immunoreactive processes in sublamina 5 were not observed. The double label studies indicated that some amacrine cells showed both SOM and ENK positive immunoreactivity and some other amacrine cells showed only SOM or ENK positive immunoreactivity.The coexistence of two neuropeptides or a neuropeptide and a classical neurotransrnitter in the retinal amacrine cells were also discussed.