title: Morphological analysis of ghrelin neurons in the hypothalamus.
abstract: Ghrelin, which is mainly produced in the A/X-like cells of the oxyntic glands of the stomach, transduces an appetite-stimulatory signal from peripheral tissues to the central nervous system. Ghrelin is also localized in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus of rodents. While ghrelin acts on the hypothalamus to promote feeding behavior and energy metabolism, it is important to clarify the neuronal circuits that involve ghrelin so as to elucidate the action of ghrelin in the brain. Immunoelectron microscopy reveals that ghrelin neurons send synaptic outputs to other feeding-regulating neurons (e.g., to neurons containing orexin, proopiomelanocortin, or neuropeptide Y) and receive synaptic inputs from other feeding-regulating neurons (proopiomelanocortin or neuropeptide Y). This chapter describes the immunohistochemical techniques employed to elucidate the neuronal interactions between ghrelin and other kinds of feeding-regulating peptide-containing neurons in the hypothalamus based on evidence at both light microscopic and ultrastructural levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Haruaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kageyama
authors.forename: Fumiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Takenoya
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shioda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001069:Appetite Regulation; D003078:Colchicine / Q000737:chemistry; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000737:chemistry*; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000379:methods; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000737:chemistry; D000068797:Orexins; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013569:Synapses / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016707:Tissue Fixation / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D000068797:Orexins; D003078:Colchicine