title: Galanin-like immunoreactivity in autonomic regions of the rat lumbosacral spinal cord is sexually dimorphic and varies with the estrous cycle.
abstract: These investigations show that there is a heterogeneous distribution of galanin-like immunoreactivity (GAL-LI) within laminae VII and X of the rat thoraco-sacral spinal cord. In either sex, GAL-LI fibers sparsely outline the position of male and female preganglionic sympathetic neurons in thoracic spinal segments; whereas in lumbosacral segments, far greater numbers of GAL-LI fibers surround autonomic preganglionic neurons. An unusual feature of the GAL-LI fibers in lumbosacral autonomic regions is their sexually dimorphic distribution with males containing greater numbers of GAL-LI fibers than all females examined. In this regard, although the number of GAL-LI fibers observed in males was consistent from animal to animal, the amount of GAL-LI in females fell into two qualitative categories: an 'average' and a 'heavy' amount. These data indicate that the difference in the amount of GAL-LI in the female rat lumbosacral spinal cord is related to the estrous cycle, such that heavy amounts of GAL-LI are observed during proestrus and estrus, while average amounts of GAL-LI are associated with metestrus and diestrus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock 72205.
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Newton
mesh_terms: D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001339:Autonomic Fibers, Preganglionic / Q000378:metabolism*; D004971:Estrus / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D019004:Galanin; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008161:Lumbosacral Region; D008297:Male; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D010275:Parasympathetic Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism*; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism; D013909:Thorax
chemical_list: D009479:Neuropeptides; D010455:Peptides; D019004:Galanin