title: Development of astroglial elements in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the rat: with special reference to the involvement of the optic nerve.
abstract: The development of astroglial cells and the effect of the retinohypothalamic tract on it were studied by vimentin and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunocytochemistry in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the rat. At the embryonic stage, vimentin-immunoreactive (VIM-IR) radial glia, precursors of astrocytes, were dominant. However, their filaments vanished in the first few postnatal days. Instead of VIM-IR glial filaments, GFAP-immunoreactive (GFAP-IR) astrocytes appeared at E20 and grew rapidly from the P3 stage. GFAP immunoreactivity in the ventrolateral portion of the SCN (VLSCN) was measured using a computer-assisted image analyzing system. In normal rats, GFAP immunoreactivity showed a stepwise pattern with two slopes at P3-P4 and P20-P25. Bilaterally eye-enucleated rats operated on the day of birth showed lower GFAP immunoreactivity than normal rats and the GFAP immunoreactivity did not increase between P20 and P25 when GFAP-IR glial processes rapidly expand. Electron microscopic investigation at P50 (adult stage) revealed that neurons in the VLSCN had often direct apposition without astroglial processes and the frequency of this finding was significantly higher in eye-enucleated rats than in the control rats. These findings strongly suggest that the postnatal development of astroglial elements, particularly the expansion of GFAP-IR processes in the SCN, is regulated by retinohypothalamic projection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto, 602-0841, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Munekawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tamada
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Iijima
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ishihara
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ibata
mesh_terms: D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D015353:Eye Enucleation / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D012160:Retina / Q000196:embryology* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013493:Suprachiasmatic Nucleus / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014746:Vimentin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D014746:Vimentin