Synaptic interactions between the terminals of slow-adapting type II mechanoreceptor afferents and neurones expressing gamma-aminobutyric acid- and glycine-like immunoreactivity in the rat spinal cord.

The object of this study was to analyse the synaptic interactions of slow-adapting type II (SAII) afferent terminals in laminae III-V of the rat spinal cord. The axons of SAII afferents were physiologically characterized by intracellular recording before injection with neurobiotin and preparation for electron microscopy. Axon terminals were serially sectioned and immunolabelled with antibodies against gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) or glycine by using a postembedding immunogold procedure. Computer-aided reconstruction was used to reveal the relative distribution of different types of synapses on terminal and en passant synaptic boutons. Eighty-nine percent of boutons received axoaxonic synaptic contacts, the mean number of contacts per bouton being 3.5. Fifty-nine percent of presynaptic axons were immunoreactive for both GABA and glycine and 45% for GABA alone. Most boutons (95%) made axodendritic contacts, and the mean number of dendrites contacted was 1.6. More than half of the postsynaptic dendrites were greater than 1 microm in diameter. Twenty-three percent were immunoreactive for glycine, and 71% were not immunoreactive for either antibody. Synaptic triads in which an axon presynaptic to the afferent was also in contact with a dendrite postsynaptic to the afferent were seen at 63% of boutons. These results are discussed in the light of similar studies of other low-threshold mechanoreceptive afferent terminals in the rat and cat and in the context of what is known of the sensory interneurones carrying information from slow- and rapid-adapting mechanoreceptors.