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Brief Communication

Nature Neuroscience 5, 401–402 (1 May 2002) | doi:10.1038/nn848

Chemosensitive serotonergic neurons are closely associated with large medullary arteries

Stefania Risso Bradley , Vincent A. Pieribone , Wengang Wang , Christopher A. Severson , Richard A. Jacobs & George B. Richerson

We have previously shown that serotonergic neurons of the medulla are strongly stimulated by an increase in CO2, suggesting that they are central respiratory chemoreceptors. Here we used confocal imaging and electron microscopy to show that neurons immunoreactive for tryptophan hydroxylase (TpOH) are tightly apposed to large arteries in the rat medulla.