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Title: Progestin receptors in brain and pituitary of 20-day-old fetal mice: an autoradiographic study using (/sup 125/I)progestin

Journal Article · · Endocrinology; (United States)

The distribution of progestin target sites in the brain and pituitary of estrogen-primed 20-day-old fetal mice was investigated by thaw-mount autoradiography. Three pregnant mice were each implanted sc with a Silastic tube containing estrogen on day 17 and ovariectomized on day 19 of gestation. Twenty-four hours after ovariectomy 10 fetuses (5 males and 5 females) were collected and each injected sc with 0.33 microgram/100 g BW (/sup 125/I)progestin (SA, 2200 Ci/mM). For competition, two additional fetuses were injected with 20 micrograms R5020 1 h before (Z)-17 beta-hydroxy-17 alpha-(2(/sup 125/I)iodovinyl)4-estren-3-one ((/sup 125/I)Progestin) to demonstrate that nuclear uptake and retention of radioactivity were specific for progestin. Two hours after injection of (/sup 125/I)Progestin all fetuses were mounted, frozen, and sectioned in a cryostat. After 1-37 days of exposure, sections were developed and scanned for labeled cells. Cells with nuclear concentration were found in the male and female preoptic area, within certain nuclear groups in the basal hypothalamus, in the central gray of the midbrain, and in the pituitary. No labeling was detected in the cortex or amygdala. The results indicate that cells in certain regions of the brain and pituitary express progestin receptors at the end of gestation and suggest that progesterone is important for the normal development of these cells.

Research Organization:
Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (USA)
OSTI ID:
6445629
Journal Information:
Endocrinology; (United States), Vol. 124:1
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English