title: Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide-nerve terminals densely innervate corticotropin-releasing hormone-neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus of the rat.
abstract: Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is widely distributed in many regions of the hypothalamus including the paraventricular nucleus (PVN). In this study, using well-characterized antibodies against PACAP and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), we identified numerous nerve fibers with PACAP-immunoreactivity (ir) closely apposed to CRH neurons in the medial parvocellular subdivision of the rat PVN. Electron microscopy revealed the presence of synapses between PACAP-ir containing terminals and CRH-perikarya and -dendrites. These morphological observations suggest that PACAP may modulate the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, New England Medical Center and Tupper Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA. gabor.legradi@es.nemc.org
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Légrádi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hannibal
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Lechan
mesh_terms: D000315:Adrenalectomy; D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D010286:Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000502:physiology*; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D051236:Receptors, Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D011979:Receptors, Pituitary Hormone / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C495403:Adcyap1 protein, rat; D009479:Neuropeptides; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D051236:Receptors, Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D011979:Receptors, Pituitary Hormone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone