title: Galanin immunoreactivity in the brain of the desert lizard Uromastyx acanthinura during activity season.
abstract: The distribution of galanin immunoreactive perikarya and nerve fibers in the brain of the desert lizard U. acanthinura was studied by means of immunofluorescence using an antiserum against rabbit galanin. The animals were captured during the activity season in March (wet season) just before reproduction period and in June (arid season) after ovulation period. Immunoreactive neurons were mostly detected in the mediobasal and the infundibular recess nuclei, the nucleus of the paraventricular organ, the paraventricular organ, the periventricular nucleus and in the anterior hypothalamus at the level of the periventricular nucleus, the paraventricular nucleus and the supraoptic nucleus. The differences in brain galanin expression between animals collected under both sets of environmental conditions indicated changes which occur during the annual and reproductive cycles. The wide hypothalamic and extrahypothalamic distribution of galanin immunoreactive fibers suggests that this peptide may have hypophysiotropic, neuromodulator and neurotransmitter roles in the lizard U. acanthinura.
authors.affiliation: Aride Area Research Laboratory, Biological Sciences Faculty, University of Sciences and Technology of Houari Boumediene, Bab Ezzouar, Algeria. sadjiah@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Sadjia Benmansour
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Hammouche
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bennis
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002452:Cell Count; D048429:Cell Size; D003889:Desert Climate; D005260:Female; D019004:Galanin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008116:Lizards / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D010286:Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D012621:Seasons; D014818:Vitellogenesis
chemical_list: D019004:Galanin