Gonadal steroid hormone regulation of proopiomelanocortin gene expression in neurons that innervate the median eminence of the rat.
The effect of gonadal steroid hormones on the expression of proopiomelanocortin (POMC) in neurons that innervate the median eminence (ME) was investigated using combined retrograde neuronal labeling and in situ hybridization histochemistry. It was observed that gonadal hormone treatment significantly increased the expression of POMC mRNA. The results suggest that POMC neurons directly innervate the ME, where POMC-derived peptides could rapidly inhibit luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone release following the preovulatory hormone surge.
Cheung
S
S
Department of Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
Hammer
R P
RP
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D008473:Median Eminence / Q000187:drug effects*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin / Q000235:genetics*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013256:Steroids / Q000494:pharmacology*
D013256:Steroids; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin