title: Morphometric and neurosecretory changes in supraoptic neurons after D-amphetamine treatment.
abstract: Several morphological and immunochemical characteristics of the neurosecretory neurons of the supraoptic nucleus (SON) have been studied of rats treated for 1 month with D-amphetamine sulfate (AMP) (8 mg/kg weight, daily). An increase of SON volume (11%) has been observed as a consequence of the growth of the dorsoventral axis. Neurosecretory neurons increased their nucleolar area (11.4%), their nuclear area (8.3%), and their cytoplasmatic area (18.3%). Vasopressin immunoreaction did not show any differences between treated and control animals, but oxytocin immunostaining displayed an important increase (23.7%) in the neuronal cytoplasm of the treated rats. The SON hypertrophy of the AMP-treated rats corresponded to the hypertrophy/hyperfunction of its oxytocinergic neurons, and could be considered as a new mechanism of the action of the AMP. The results are discussed in relation to the plastic features of the SON and its central (neuronal) and peripheral (hormonal) function.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Cajal, C.S.I.C., Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bentura
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lazcano
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Zahonero
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Toledano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003720:Densitometry; D003913:Dextroamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013495:Supraoptic Nucleus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014667:Vasopressins / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D014667:Vasopressins; D010121:Oxytocin; D003913:Dextroamphetamine