6-Hydroxydopamine induces degenerative changes in innervation of the rat pituitary gland.
Administration of 6-hydroxydopamine to adult male rats by peripheral injections induces degenerative changes in nerve terminals innervating cells of the pituitary intermediate lobe. Additional animals were treated with 5-hydroxydopamine, which produced images of nerve profiles containing vesicles with electron-dense centers, indicative of uptake of the false catecholamine (CA) neurotransmitter. Endocrine cells showed cytologic evidence of activation of synthetic and secretory compartments. The ultrastructural observations suggest that innervation to opiomelanocortin cells is sensitive to a CA-specific neurotoxin and strengthens the hypothesis that CA-containing fibers play a role in intermediate lobe neuroregulation.
D000818:Animals; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000378:metabolism; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006892:Hydroxydopamines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008473:Median Eminence / Q000187:drug effects; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D016627:Oxidopamine; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D002395:Catecholamines; D006892:Hydroxydopamines; D016627:Oxidopamine