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Tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic neurons of the hypothalamus are progestin target cells

Conference · · Fed. Proc., Fed. Am. Soc. Exp. Biol.; (United States)
OSTI ID:5453884
To find out a direct relationship between progestin target neurons and tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic neurons colocalization of /sup 3/H ORG 2058 (a synthetic progestin) and tyrosine hydroxylase, TH, antibodies were studied by combined autoradiography and immunohistochemistry. Eight 23 day-old ovariectomized and adrenalectomized rats were injected s.c. 17-beta estradiol, daily for 4 days. On the 5th day each animal was injected i.v. 1.0 ug per 100g b.w. of /sup 3/H ORG 2058. Two animals each received 1mg of unlabeled ORG 2058 15 min prior to the injection of /sup 3/H ORG 2058 to show the specificity of localization. Animals were sacrificed after 15 or 30 min, brains were dissected, frozen and processed for autoradiography. The autoradiograms were stained immunohistochemically with antibodies to TH. TH-containing cells in the arcuate nucleus and in the hypothalamic periventricular nucleus (Group A12) showed concentration of radioactivity in their nuclei, while TH cells in Group A11, A13, A14, and in the substantia nigra (Group A9), and ventral tegmental area (Group A10) did not show nuclear concentration of /sup 3/H ORG 2058. Competition studies with unlabeled ORG 2058 abolished the nuclear uptake of radioactivity in TH containing neurons. The results suggest a direct affect of progestin on tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic neurons.
Research Organization:
Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
OSTI ID:
5453884
Report Number(s):
CONF-8604222-
Conference Information:
Journal Name: Fed. Proc., Fed. Am. Soc. Exp. Biol.; (United States) Journal Volume: 45:3
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English