Use of Different Antibodies to Tyrosine Hydroxylase to Study Catecholaminergic Systems in the Mammalian Brain

• DOI: 10.1007/s11055-011-9555-x
• Publication Date: 2011-12-27T10:01:02Z
• Authors: I. P. Grigoriev; M. S. Vasilenko; E. G. Sukhorukova; D. E. Korzhevskii
• Keywords: clone (Java method); Catecholaminergic cell groups

Immunohistochemical reactions for the key enzyme in catecholamine (CA) synthesis – tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) – are currently regarded as the main morphological method for identifying CA-synthesizing brain neurons. A series of monoclonal antibodies to TH, produced using different immunogens, have now become available. The aim of the present work was to perform a comparative analysis of results obtained by detecting TH in brain neurons in rats and humans using two antibody clones: TOH-A1 and 1B5. Clone TOH-A1 antibodies were preferred only for detecting CA-ergic (CAE) neurons in neural centers in rats. Clone 1B5 antibodies can be used to detect CA-synthesizing neurons in both rats and humans and in efferent nerve fibers in the target areas of CAE innervation.