Neurotensin and growth hormone-releasing factor-containing neurons projecting to the median eminence of the rat: a combined retrograde tracing and immunohistochemical study.
The origins of the neurotensin (NT)-containing nerve terminals in the median eminence were determined in rats by a combination of retrograde labeling with True blue and immunofluorescence staining. Moreover, the distribution of NT and growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF) was analyzed in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) with an elution-restaining procedure. The retrogradely labeled NT neurons were found mainly in the ARC. Only a few labeled NT neurons were seen in the periventricular and the paraventricular nuclei. The elution restaining procedure demonstrated that an average of 43% of the labeled NT cells in the ventral part of the ARC restained for GRF. These findings support the hypothesis of co-expression of NT with GRF from the ARC.
Niimi
M
M
Department of Clinical Laboratory, Kagawa Medical School, Japan.
Takahara
J
J
Sato
M
M
Kawanishi
K
K
D000818:Animals; D001111:Arcuate Nucleus of Hypothalamus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology*; D001370:Axonal Transport; D001572:Benzofurans; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone / Q000032:analysis*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008473:Median Eminence / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology*; D009411:Nerve Endings / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D009496:Neurotensin / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D001572:Benzofurans; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D009496:Neurotensin; C038675:true blue; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone