title: Ontogeny of 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and 5 alpha-reductase in the frog brain.
abstract: The distribution of 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3beta-HSD) and 5alpha-reductase (5alpha-R) has been studied in the frog brain during development. Soon after hatching, 3beta-HSD- and 5alpha-R-immunoreactive (ir) cells appeared first in the olfactory bulb and in the rhombencephalon. Subsequently, 3beta-HSD-ir cells were seen in the hypothalamus and cerebellum, whereas 5alpha-R-ir cells were visualized in the pallium, preoptic nucleus, posterocentral nucleus, cerebellum, and pituitary gland. At stages XIII-XVIII, additional 3beta-HSD- and 5alpha-R-ir cells appeared in several regions of the telencephalon, diencephalon, and mesencephalon. At stages XIX-XXI, the number of 5alpha-R-ir cells increased in the preoptic nucleus. These observations indicate that biosynthesis of biologically active steroids occurs in the brain of tadpoles, suggesting that neurosteroids may play a role in brain development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Biology, University of Genova, Italy. mvallari@unige.it
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vallarino
authors.forename: Maura
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mathieu
authors.forename: Jean-Luc
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: do-Rego
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bruzzone
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chartrel
authors.forename: Van
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Luu-The
authors.forename: Georges
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pelletier
authors.forename: Hubert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vaudry
mesh_terms: D015096:3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D042944:Cholestenone 5 alpha-Reductase / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D011893:Rana esculenta / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015096:3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases; D042944:Cholestenone 5 alpha-Reductase