Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Evidence for a long Leu-enkephalin striopallidal pathway in rat brain

Nature volume 271, pages 178–180 (1978)Cite this article

Abstract

THE pentapeptides leucine (Leu-) enkephalin and methionine (Met-) enkephalin were isolated from brain and shown to be endogenous opiates1. These peptides bind to the brain opiate receptor2, and their biological actions are blocked by the morphine antagonist naloxone3. The availability of synthetic enkephalins has led to the development of radioimmunoassays (refs 2, 4, and R. Miller, personal communication) and immunohistochemical techniques. Preliminary immunohistochemical studies5,6 have shown the distribution of enkephalin-containing fibres to coincide with the regional distribution of opiate receptors as determined by biochemical techniques and autoradiography6–8. The highest density of enkephalin-positive fibres6,8 was located in the globus pallidus. We have now confirmed the presence of enkephalin-immunoreactive fibres in the globus pallidus, and using specific lesions have shown this immunoreactivity to be abolished by destruction of the neural connections between the globus pallidus and the caudoputamen.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hughes, J. et al. Nature 258, 577–579 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Simantov, R. & Snyder, S. H. in Opiates and Endogenous Opioid Peptides (ed. Kosterlitz, H. W.) (Elsevier/North-Holland Biomedical, Amsterdam, 1976).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Hughes, J., Smith, T., Morgan, B. & Fothergill, L. Life Sci. 16, 1753–1758 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Hong, J. S., Yang, H. Y. T. & Costa, E. Neuropharmacology 16, 451–453 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Elde, R., Hökfelt, T., Johansson, O. & Terenius, L. Neuroscience 1, 349–351 (1977).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Simantov, R., Kuhar, M. J., Uhl, G. R. & Snyder, S. H. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 2167–2171 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Simantov, R., Snowman, A. M. & Snyder, S. H. Brain Res. 107, 650–657 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Smith, T. W., Hughes, J., Kosterlitz, H. W. & Sosa, K. P. in Opiates and Endogenous Opioid Peptides (ed. Kosterlitz, H. W.) 57–62 (Elsevier/North Holland/Biomedical, Amsterdam, 1976).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Coons, A. H. & Kaplan, M. H. J. exp. Med. 91, 1–9 (1950).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Hökfelt, T., Kellerth, J. O., Nilsson, G. & Pernow, B. Brain Res. 100, 235–252 (1975).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Cuello, A. C. et al. in Centrally Acting Peptides (ed. Hughes, J.) (Macmillan, London, in the press).

  12. Kemp, J. M. & Powell, T. P. S. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. 262, 441–457 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Carpenter, M. Adv. Neurol. 14 (eds Eldridge, R. & Fahn, S.) (Raven, New York, 1976).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Yang, J. S. & Costa, E. in Endorphins (ed. Costa, E.) (Raven, New York, in the press).

  15. Hökfelt, T., Elde, R., Johansson, O., Terenius, L. & Stein, L. Neurosci. Lett. 5, 25–31 (1977).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. MRC Neurochemical Pharmacology Unit, Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK

    A. C. CUELLO

  2. School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia, 2033

    G. PAXINOS

Authors
  1. A. C. CUELLO
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. G. PAXINOS
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

CUELLO, A., PAXINOS, G. Evidence for a long Leu-enkephalin striopallidal pathway in rat brain. Nature 271, 178–180 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1038/271178a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/271178a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing