title: Cathepsin L immunoreactivity in the hypothalamus of normal, streptozotocin-diabetic and vasopressin-deficient Brattleboro rats.
abstract: The immunolocalization of cathepsin L in the hypothalamus of normal rats was compared with the distribution of the enzyme in streptozotocin-treated animals and in vasopressin-deficient rats (Brattleboro strain). In rats with a normal metabolic status the neurons of magnocellular nucl. supraopticus and paraventricularis stood out by intense immunostaining for cathepsin L. In rats suffering from an experimentally induced diabetes mellitus and in homozygous Brattleboro rats we observed a strong reduction in enzyme immunoreactivity in these nuclei. Since cathepsin L is capable of splitting certain hypothalamic neuropeptides that are changed in diabetic animals, a role of the enzyme in the metabolism of these peptides is imaginable. Decrease in immunoreactive cathepsin L in vasopressin-deficient rats points to a possible involvement of the enzyme in the control of fluid homeostasis.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Anatomy, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Bernstein
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Roskoden
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kirschke
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wiederanders
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Novakova
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D056668:Cathepsin L; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000032:analysis*; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D003919:Diabetes Insipidus / Q000201:enzymology; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000201:enzymology*; D010450:Endopeptidases; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000201:enzymology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051381:Rats; D011910:Rats, Brattleboro; D013307:Streptomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014667:Vasopressins / Q000172:deficiency*
chemical_list: D014667:Vasopressins; D002403:Cathepsins; D010450:Endopeptidases; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D056668:Cathepsin L; C534280:Ctsl protein, rat; D013307:Streptomycin