A dopamine-synthesizing cell group demonstrated in the human basal forebrain by dual labeling immunohistochemical technique of tyrosine hydroxylase and aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase

The human basal forebrain has been known to contain many neurons immunoreactive (ir) to tyrosine hydroxylase (TH; the first dopamine-synthesizing enzyme). We examined whether these neurons might contain aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC; the second step dopamine-synthesizing enzyme) by dual labeling immunohistochemistry and confocal laser-scanning microscopy. Neurons dually-labeled for TH and AADC were found in the anterior olfactory nucleus, olfactory tubercle and the ventral margin of the rostral nucleus accumbens. The examination in the basal forebrain of the macaque monkey also gave substantially the same results. These neurons appear to constitute an independent dopaminergic cell group in the primate basal forebrain.