Morphometrical analysis of the distribution of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone and tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive nerve terminals within the lateral palisade zone of the median eminence of the male rat.
By means of a semiautomatic image analyzer coupled to an Apple II computer with suitable computer programs it has been possible to demonstrate in a quantitative way the morphological interaction between luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunoreactive nerve terminals in the lateral palisade zone (LPZ) at various rostrocaudal levels of the median eminence. The overlap area represented about 50% of the TH- or the LH-RH-immunoreactive area. The dopamine nerve terminals showed a more medial and ventral position than the LH-RH-immunoreactive nerve terminals. The transmitter-identified nerve terminals in the LPZ may be organized in strips extending in the rostrocaudal direction and may have a differential regulation.
D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008473:Median Eminence / Q000201:enzymology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism*
D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D004298:Dopamine