title: Ultrastructural changes of crop-sac and lactotrophs after systemic or intraventricular administration of drugs enhancing cholinergic transmission in pigeons.
abstract: The ultrastructural effects of drugs enhancing, by different mechanisms, cholinergic transmission in the crop-sac (the target for prolactin secretion in birds) and the anterior pituitary lactotrophs, were studied in pigeons (Columba livia). The systemic or intraventricular administration of physostigmine, carbachol and muscarine produced maximal crop-sac stimulation with milk-like secretion, as demonstrated by the observation of ultrastructural changes in the lactiferous areas through scanning and transmission electron microscopy of the crop-sac mucosa. A marked activation was also observed in anterior pituitary lactotrophs. Crop-sac and anterior pituitary lactotrophs stimulatory effects were prevented by an atropine pretreatment, but not by mecamylamine and pempidine pretreatments. The present results suggest that muscarinic receptors at the hypothalamic and/or anterior pituitary level are involved in avian species in the control of prolactin secretion.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rotiroti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ciriaco
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ammendola
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Germana
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Naccari
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Germana
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001285:Atropine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D002217:Carbachol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D010856:Columbidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D003426:Crop, Avian / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D006056:Golgi Apparatus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007263:Infusions, Parenteral / Q000662:veterinary; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular / Q000662:veterinary; D008464:Mecamylamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009116:Muscarine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D010277:Parasympathomimetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010393:Pempidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D010830:Physostigmine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011388:Prolactin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010277:Parasympathomimetics; D008464:Mecamylamine; D001285:Atropine; D009116:Muscarine; D002217:Carbachol; D011388:Prolactin; D010830:Physostigmine; D010393:Pempidine