ACCUMULATION OF EXOGENOUS CATECHOLAMINES IN THE NEURAL-TUBE AND NON-NEURAL TISSUES OF THE EARLY FOWL EMBRYO - CORRELATION WITH MORPHOGENETIC MOVEMENTS

Abstract

Catecholamines (CA) were localized in stage 11-34 domestic fowl embryos by the formaldehyde-induced fluorescence (FIF) method after exposure in vivo or in vitro to CA (noradrenaline or α-methylnoradrenaline), or the CA precursorl-DOPA. The effects of drugs known to alter CA metabolism in the adult were also investigated.Negligible FIF was observed in embryos which had not been exposed to CA. After CA loading, FIF could be seen in the neural tube and in non-neural tissues such as the notochord and gut mesenchyme and to a lesser degree in suprarenal area tissue, liver endothelium, sclerotome, and myotome. This FIF was inhibited by desmethylimipramine, a blocker of adult neuronal CA uptake (Upt..