Incorporation of 4,5-3H leucine into the neurons of locus ceruleus and other nerve cells in stressed rats: effect of diazepam.

Incorporation of 4,5-3H leucine into neurons of locus ceruleus, neurons of the terminal principal nucleus of the trigeminal nerve and spinal moto-neurons in stressed rats (S group), animals, stressed after a single injection of diazepam (DS group), and controls (C group) was studied by quantitative autoradiography. Both in the S and DS groups the planimetrically measured neuronal areas were bigger than in the C group of spinal motoneurons and trigeminal neurons. Stress, however, had no effect on the size of neurons in locus ceruleus. No significant differences of grain density among C and S group were found in the three investigated neuronal groups; diazepam pretreatment (DS group), however, increased markedly the grain density in all types of neurons investigated.