Dopamine‐β‐hydroxylase‐like immunoreactivity in the fetal cerebral cortex of the rat: Noradrenergic ascending pathways and terminal fields

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Abstract
A topographical analysis of the noradrenergic innervation in the fetal rat cerebral cortex was carried out from embryonic day 15 (E15) until birth using antibodies raised against dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DBH). During late gestation DBH-like immunoreactive axons were coursing through the basal forebrain along three pathways: 1. (1) a medial component reached the medial cortex and then ran caudally along the anlage of the cingulum bundle; 2. (2) a lateral component reached the frontal pole and curved ventro-dorsally in the primordium of the external capsule; 3. (3) a few fibers were observed along the ventral amygdaloid bundle toward the amygdaloid complex and the surrounding cortex. No DBH positive fibers were observed in the main body of the internal capsule. The first noradrenergic axons were seen at E17 in the frontal pole, the lateral frontal cortex, and in the medial frontal cortex which also receives a dopaminergic input. The innervation then extended caudally, but the dorsal part of the cortex was reached after a 2-day delay when compared to the medial and lateral parts. The arrival of noradrenergic axons did not parallel the gradient of cortical neurogenesis; however, all cortical areas were innervated at birth. DBH positive fibers reached a given cortical region simultaneously through the marginal and intermediate zones and then invaded the cortical plate.

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