Not only osmotic stress but also repeated restraint stress causes structural plasticity in the supraoptic nucleus of the rat hypothalamus.
Magnocellular neuroendocrine cells (MNCs) in the supraoptic nucleus (SON) of the hypothalamus have been known to undergo dramatic structural changes during chronic stimulation such as osmotic stress. In the present study, we examined whether this anatomical neural plasticity is associated with an another stress, such as restraint. Rats were chronically stimulated by either dehydration with 2% saline drinking instead of water or daily restraint with leg immobilization. The structural reorganizations of MNCs in the SON were analyzed morphometrically with use of light and electron microscopy. The results were compared to control animals that had free access to water and food. In restraint rats, the soma size of both oxytocin (OXT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) neurons was enlarged, and the percent of soma-somatic/dendritic membrane contact (juxtaposition) was elevated significantly. The number of total synapses per 100 microns soma membrane was not changed, although soma profiles were enlarged. However, the number of multiple synapses (which contacted with more than one postsynaptic element) per 100 microns soma membrane was significantly increased. Similar structural changes were observed in dehydrated animals, and the degree of morphological changes was stronger than the restraint one. These findings indicate that NMCs undergo structural plasticity during not only osmotic stress but also restraint stress.
Miyata
S
S
Department of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Japan.
Itoh
T
T
Matsushima
O
O
Nakashima
T
T
Kiyohara
T
T
D000818:Animals; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D009995:Osmosis; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D013495:Supraoptic Nucleus / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; D010121:Oxytocin