Cholinergic neurons of the human midbrain
Motavkin, P.A.; Okhotin, V.E.
Arkhiv Anatomii Gistologii i Embriologii 80(4): 5-11
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 0004-1947 PMID: 7271468 Document Number: 179939
By the histochemical method of Burt for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity, the nuclei of the human midbrain were studied at the age of 7-8 lunar months. Owing to the histochemical procedure applied, a certain quantity of the residue was obtained and 4 types of neurons were revealed: with low, moderate, high and very high ChAT activity. In all the nuclei studied, the part of every neuronal type was determined. A direct dependence between the level of the ChAT activity and the size of the neuron was stated. The nuclei possessing motor activity contained mainly the neuronal cells with the highest ChAT activity. The amount of the cholinergic cells in the nuclei of the midbrain varied from 98 +/- 3% (in the mesencephalic nucleus of the trigeminal nerve) up to 45 +/- 12% (in the parabrachial mesencephalic nucleus). While studying the neural centers by means of the luminescent method, that reveals biogenic amines, it was stated that the nuclei have neurons with various mediator specificity. Cholinergic function of the mesencephalic parabrachial, supratrochlear, periansiform, subcuneiform, paranigral nuclei and the nucleus between the inferior colliculi was demonstrated.