Immunohistochemical mapping of delta sleep-inducing peptide in the cat brain and hypophysis. Relationships with the LHRH system and corticotropes.
Using the indirect immunofluorescence method, the distribution of the delta sleep-inducing peptide was studied in the cat brain and hypophysis. Delta sleep-inducing peptide-like-immunoreactive cell bodies mostly visualized in colchicine-pretreated animals were mainly found scattered throughout the diagonal band of Broca, the ventral septum and the anterior hypothalamic areas. A few immunoreactive cell somata were also seen in the ventrolateral hypothalamic area and more occasionally in the triangular septal nucleus. The heaviest concentrations of delta sleep-inducing peptide-like-immunoreactive varicose fibres and terminal-like structures were observed in the septo-preoptic region, in the median eminence and pituitary stalk. Some other brain regions supplied with few delta sleep-inducing peptide-immunoreactive fibres included the fimbria-fornix, the dorsal part of the subfornical organ, the medial habenular nucleus and more caudally, the periaqueductal gray. Elution-restaining experiments revealed that delta sleep-inducing peptide-like immunoreactivity frequently occurred in luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone-immunoreactive neurons and vice versa. At the pituitary level, delta sleep-inducing peptide-like immunoreactivity was detected in most, if not all, melanocorticotropes of the pars intermedia and further in a large subpopulation of corticotropes mainly located in the zona tuberalis of the pars distalis. Taken together these anatomical findings support the view that delta sleep-inducing peptide (or a closely related molecular form) could play a modulatory role at various levels of the hypothalamo-pituitary system.
Charnay
Y
Y
Service de la Recherche Biologique et de Psychopharmacologie Clinique, IUPG, Genève, Switzerland.
Léger
L
L
Golaz
J
J
Sallanon
M
M
Vallet
P G
PG
Guntern
R
R
Bouras
C
C
Constantinidis
J
J
Jouvet
M
M
Tissot
R
R
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002415:Cats; D003701:Delta Sleep-Inducing Peptide / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D003701:Delta Sleep-Inducing Peptide