Chapter 4 Coexistence of neuronal messengers — an overview

Results demonstrating that neurons often contain more than one chemical compound demonstrate that multiple messengers may provide the means for increasing the capacity for information transfer in the nervous system.

Abstract

This chapter discusses results demonstrating that neurons often contain more than one chemical compound. The different types of coexistence situations are described, including (1) a classical transmitter and one or more peptides, (2) more than one classical transmitter, and (3) a classical transmitter, a peptide, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The functional significance of these histochemical findings is at present difficult to evaluate, but in studies on the peripheral nervous system evidence has been obtained that classical transmitter and peptide are coreleased and interact in a cooperative way on effector cells. In addition to enhancement, there is evidence that other types of interactions may occur—for example, the peptide may inhibit the release of the classical transmitter. Also in the central nervous system (CNS), indirect evidence is present for similar mechanisms—that is, to strengthen transmission at synaptic (or non-synaptic) sites and for the peptide inhibition of release of a classical transmitter. Multiple messengers may provide the means for increasing the capacity for information transfer in the nervous system.