Immunoreactive beta-endorphin and ACTH in the same neurons of the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus in the rat.
Immunoreactive ACTH and beta-endorphin (beta-End) were localized in the brain and pituitaries of normal and colchicine-treated rats, using the immunoperoxidase method at the light microscopic level. On adjacent serial 5-micron paraffin sections of anterior pituitaries, both ACTH and beta-End could be found in the same cells. On adjacent 5-micron paraffin sections of brains of colchicine-treated rats, both ACTH and beta-End could be found in the same perikarya of hypothalamic arcuate nucleus neurons. It appeared that all perikarya containing beta-End contained ACTH as well, suggesting that neurons producing beta-End also produce ACTH. Pathways of ACTH fibers corresponded to pathways of beta-End fibers. These findings suggest that the synthesis, and transport, of ACTH and beta-End are linked in the brain as well as in the pituitary, possibly through a common precursor.
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D003078:Colchicine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004723:Endorphins / Q000032:analysis*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism*; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D009434:Neural Pathways; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats
D004723:Endorphins; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003078:Colchicine