alpha-Melanocyte stimulating hormone: immunohistochemical identification and mapping in neurons of rat brain

alpha-Melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-melanotropin) immunofluorescence was observed in rat brain by means of a highly specific and well-characterized antibody. The hormone was contained in arcuate nucleus cell bodies and in varicose fibers. Dense populations of hormone-containing fibers were present in the septum, the nucleus interstitialis stria terminalis, and the medial preoptic, anterior hypothalamic, dorsomedial, and periventricular nuclei. Moderate numbers of fibers were seen in the paraventricular and arcuate nuclei, the amygdala, the region of the tractus diagonalis, the mammillary body, the central gray, the cuneiform nucleus, and the nucleus of the solitary tract. There is an interesting correlation of alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone fibers with regions of noradrenergic axonal projections and terminal fields.

Effects of estrogen and progesterone on plasma gonadotropins and on catecholamine levels and turnover in discrete brain regions of ovariectomized rats

Estradiol benzoate (EB) was administered, either alone or followed 48 h later by progesterone to ovariectomized rats. Plasma gonadotropins (FSH and LH) and steady state levels of norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) in 17 individual brain nuclei were assayed. In addition, catecholamines were measured after administration of the synthesis inhibitor alpha-methyltyrosine (alpha-MT) in order to assess hormonal influences on turnover. Treatment with EB, which lowered plasma FSH and LH, reduced the depletion of NE produced by alpha-MT in the lateral septum, interstitial nucleus of the stria terminalis, and central gray catecholamine area, and reduced the depletion of DA in the nucleus of the tractus diagonalis. EB enhanced NE depletion in the periventricular and anterior hypothalamic nuclei, and raised steady state levels of NE in the medial amygdaloid nucleus. These effects were reversed by subsequent treatment with progesterone, which stimulated FSH and LH release. EB plus progesterone enhanced the alpha-MT-induced depletion of NE over that observed with EB alone in the arcuate nucleus, and similarly enhanced DA depletion in the interstitial nucleus of the stria terminalis. EB plus progesterone prevented the depletion of NE by alpha-MT in the paraventricular and ventromedial nuclei, and also lowered resting NE levels in the paraventricular nucleus. The results suggest that catecholamine neurons in several discrete brain regions participate in the stimulatory and inhibitory feedback effects of ovarian hormones on gonadotropin secretion, and perhaps also on the hormonal induction of sexual receptivity.

A mapping of the distribution of acetycholine, choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholinesterase in discrete areas of rat brain

Acetylcholine (ACh) concentration, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) were measured in 60 discrete areas dissected from the rat forebrain. All 3 substances were detectable in every region examined. The range for ACh levels was approximately 9-fold, with highest levels in the striatal and mesolimbic areas. Wider ranges were found for ChAT and AChE. In addition to not having a uniform distribution ACh, ChAT and AChE did not always show proportional variations. ACh levels did not appear to relate to the activity of either enzyme in a simple manner. There was a better correlation (r = 0.902) between the activities of ChAT and AChE, with AChE activities always being higher. In some regions, AChE was disproportionately low or high relative to ChAT. In general, the biochemical results presented here are compatible with histochemical studies of AChE. Such measurements in small brain regions should prove valuable in future experiments designed to determine cholinergic function and localize cholinergic pathways.

Sex differences in catecholamine content in discrete brain nuclei of the rat: effects of neonatal castration or testosterone treatment

Dopamine and norepinephrine levels were measured in individual brain nuclei in normal adult male and female rats and in adult male rats castrated on day 1 of life and in adult female rats given 1.25 mg testosterone propionate on day 4 of life. Normal adult males showed higher concentrations of dopamine than females in the caudate, tractus diagonalis and arcuate nuclei and in the median eminence. Day 1 castration of males reduced the dopamine levels of the arcuate nucleus and nucleus of the tractus diagonalis, while neonatal administration of testosterone to females elevated the dopamine concentration of the arcuate nucleus and nucleus of the tractus diagonalis. Normal adult males had higher concentrations of norepinephrine than females in the preoptic-suprachiasmatic, paraventricular, periventricular, and arcuate nuclei and in the median eminence. Neonatal endocrine manipulations (neonatal male castration and female testosterone treatment) failed to alter significantly these sex differences. The results suggest a sexual dimorphism in the catecholamine innervation of certain discrete areas of the brain and that the dopamine concentration in the arcuate and tractus diagonalis nuclei is influenced by perinatal androgen.

Levels of arginine-vasopressin and oxytocin in the pituitary gland and individual hypothalamic nuclei of the genetically obese Zucker rat

Laboratory of Clinical Science, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20014, U.S.A. and *Department of Medicine, Ohio State University, College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A.

(Received 20 September 1977)

The genetically obese Zucker rat exhibits several endocrine disorders, including defects of the female reproductive system such as delayed puberty, irregular oestrous cycles, failure to mate and refractoriness to pseudopregnancy-inducing stimuli (Saiduddin, Bray, York & Swerdloff, 1973). Zucker rats show hyperdipsia, increased plasma osmolality and excrete a large volume of urine with a decreased osmolality and an increased protein content, suggesting a deficiency in the regulation of body fluids (York & Bray, 1971, 1973; Bray, York & Swerdloff, 1973). These considerations, plus the recent findings that in Zucker rats the concentration of noradrenaline is reduced in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus and increased in the median eminence (Cruce, Thoa & Jacobowitz, 1976), prompted us to measure levels of arginine-vasopressin (AVP) and

Changes in catecholamine content in discrete brain nuclei during the estrous cycle of the rat

Norepinephrine (NE) and dopomine (DA) concentrations were measured in discrete brain nuclei in female rats at different stages of the 4-day estrous cycle. In the medial preoptic and paraventricular nuclei, NE levels were reduced on the days of proestrus and estrus as compared to metestrus-diestrus. NE levels sharply increased between estrus and metestrus in the lateral septal nucleus but did not vary significantly at other times. In the mesencephalic central gray catecholamine area, NE levels were elevated on metestrus as compared to all other days of the cycle. DA concentrations also varied in certain nuclei during the estrous cycle. In the lateral septum, DA levels were highest during diestrus, and in the nucleus of the tractus diagonalis, DA levels were highest on metestrus. The DA concentration of the caudate nucleus decreased between proestrus and estrus and remained low through metestrus. DA in the medial preoptic nucleus showed a similar pattern of change as did NE. In the median eminence DA levels increased significantly from proestrus afternoon to estrus, but did not vary on the other days. It is concluded that cyclic activity of catecholamines in a few discrete areas of the brain may be related to the fluctuations of the gonadotropins and ovarian hormones to influence ovulation and mating behavior.

Method for the rapid determination of norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin in the same brain region

A method is presented for the fluorometric analysis of norepinephrine dopamine and serotonin. This procedure is a combination of an unpublished catecholamine assay developed by Hogans and of the o-phthaldialdehyde serotonin reaction reported by Maickel and Miller [9]. This procedure should greatly facilitate the correlation of neurotransmitter levels in brain regions with changes in behavior produced by experimental manipulations.

Catecholamines in discrete areas of the hypothalamus of obese and castrated male rats

Levels of norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) were measured in eight discrete regions of the hypothalamus in three groups of male rats; genetically obese (fafa), non-obese (FaFa) and castrated non-obese (FaFa). DA levels showed no significant differences among the groups in any of the regions. NE levels in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) were significantly lower in the obese and castrated animals than in the normal animals. In the median eminence (ME), NE levels were significantly decreased for the castrated group. None of the other regions sampled showed significant differences in NE levels.

A brainstem atlas of catecholaminergic neurons and serotonergic perikarya in a pygmy primate (Cebuella pygmaea)

The present paper provides a brainstem atlas showing the distribution of catecholaminergic cells and processes, as well as serotonergic perikarya, in the pygmy marmoset. The findings revealed by the Falck and Hillarp histofluorescence method conform in essential details to what has been described in rodents. These and other comparative data indicate that a prototypical pattern of organization of aminergic systems has been retained in the evolution of primates.

Effect of prolonged treatment with adrenergic neuron blocking drugs on sympathoadrenal reactivity in rats

The effects of repeated high doses of the adrenergic neuron blocking drug guanethidine or a hexahydropyrazinoindole compound (2-guanyl-1,2,3,10,10a, hexahydro-1,2,a-pyrazinoindole, EMD 21192) (30 mg/kg i.p., 21.5 mg/kg i.p. respectively, equimolar doses) on sympathoadrenal activity were investigated in normotensive adult rats. During treatment for 5 weeks with either guanethidine or EMD 21192 the systemic blood pressure fell steadily. Noradrenaline content in the heart and vas deferens were decreased markedly by guanethidine and to a much less degree by EMD 21192. EMD 21192 markedly lowers the catecholamine content of the adrenal medulla, presumably as a result of inhibition of dopamine-beta-hydroxylase. The plasma catecholamine concentrations reflected the different sites of action of the drugs in the sympathoadrenal system, i.e. guanethidine mainly reduced circulating norepinephrine and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase by more than 50%, whereas EMD 21192 decreased considerably by the total catecholamines (mainly epinephrine) without altering significantly in the plasma norepinephrine. Disappearance or reduction of fluorescent nerve endings in the iris and the heart and a decrease of the intensity of fluorescence in chromaffin cells of the adrenal gland caused by the drugs were consistent with the biochemical alteration. Whereas the repeated doses of guanethidine caused degeneration of sympathetic nerves, destruction of adrenergic neurons was not found after prolonged treatment with EMD 21192.

Controlling influences of the autonomic nervous system

Recent information about the localization of sympathetic nerves and catecholamine-containing cells suggests sites of action not usually described in the neuroscience textbooks. In this study, we focused on the autonomic controls that affect ganglia, heart, gut, and chemoreceptors. As a result of some speculation derived mainly from histochemical observations and partially from physiologic data, we concluded that at the organ level the interplay between a nerve terminal-receptor serves as a local control. Additional controls may function at the ganglion level where catecholamine-containing chromaffin cells may serve as interneurons. We suggest that all peripheral catecholamine-containing elements which function in a modulatory role are not vital to the survival of the individual but rather serve as "fine tune" adjustment that do not involve the central nervous system.

Olfactory relationships of the telencephalon and diencephalon in the rabbit. III. The ipsilateral centrifugal fibers to the olfactory bulbar and retrobulbar formations

The axoplasmic retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) from axon terminals to their parent cell bodies and histochemical fluorescence microscopy have been used to study the ipsilateral centrifugal fibers to the olfactory bulbs and anterior olfactory nucleus in the rabbit. Focal injections of peroxidase were placed unilaterally into the main or accessory olfactory bulb or into the anterior olfactory nucleus. In animals with injected HRP confined within the main bulb, perikarya retrogradely labeled with the protein in the ipsilateral forebrain were observed in the anterior prepyriform cortex horizontal limb of the nucleus of the diagonal band, and far lateral preoptic and rostral lateral hypothalamic areas. Brain stem cell groups that contained HRP-positive somata include the locus coeruleus and midbrain dorsal raphe nucleus. Except for the prepyriform cortex, the basal forebrain structures with labeled perikarya correlate well with locations of cell bodies containing acetylcholinesterase and choline acetyltransferase. These somata may represent a cholinergic afferent system to the main olfactory bulb. Peroxidase-labeled cell bodies in the locus coeruleus and midbrain raphe are indicative of noradrenergic and serotonergic innervations respectively of the olfactory bulb. In rabbits in which peroxidase was injected or diffused into the accessory olfactory bulb and anterior alfactory nucleus, HRP-positive somata were identified in the prepyriform cortex bilaterally, the horizontal limb of the diagonal band nucleus, lateral hypothalamic region, nucleus of the lateral olfactory tract, corticomedial complex of the amygdala, mitral and tufted cell layers of the ipsilateral main olfactory bulb, locus coeruleus, and the midbrain raphe. Evidence for centrifugal fibers to the accessory olfactory bulb from the corticomedial complex of the amygdala, locus coeruleus, and possibly the nucleus of the lateral olfactory tract and midbrain raphe is discussed. A similar distribution of labeled perikarya in the forebrain and brain stem was seen in rats in which peroxidase injected into the main olfactory bulb had spread into the accessory bulb and anterior olfactory nucleus. Histochemical fluorescence microscopy of the main and accessory olfactory bulbs in the rabbit and rat revealed fine caliber, green fluorescent fibers and varicosities predominantly in the granule cell layer and less so among cells in the glomerular layer. In sections through the root of the main olfactory bulb, a similar fluorescence was seen in the deep half of the plexiform layer of the pars externa of the anterior alfactory nucleus. These fluorescent fibers likely represent the noradrenergic innervation of the olfactory bulbar and retrobulbar formations. A fluorescent yellow hue was observed in the glomerular layer of the main bulb and may signify a serotonergic innervation of this lamina...

The effect of two anesthetic agents on norepinephrine and dopamine in discrete brain nuclei, fiber tracts, and terminal regions of the rat

Catecholaminergic neurons have been implicated in the mechanism of general anesthesia, but previous attempts at measuring changes in adrenergic neuron function during anesthesia have been limited by techniques to whole brain. Microdissection techniques and sensitive radioisotopic-enzymatic assays were used to measure levels of catecholamines in 20 different nuclei, fiber tracts or nerve terminal regions in brains of rats anesthetized for 90-105 min with 1% halothane or 18% cyclopropane. These two anesthetics were chosen because of their diverse effects on the electroencephalogram and on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Of the areas examined, significant increases in norepinephrine content with both anesthetic agents were found only in the nucleus accumbens, locus coeruleus and central gray catecholamine areas. Only in the nucleus accumbens was the dopamine level increased by both anesthetics; cyclopropane, but not halothane anesthesia, also increased the dopamine content of the caudate nucleus, while halothane, but not cyclopropane anesthesia, significantly decreased the dopamine level of the ventral nucleus of the thalamus. Changes in levels of transmitters do not distinguish cause from effect of anesthesia, and further experiments are needed to delineate what role, if any, the specific areas play in muscle relaxation, analgesia, sleep or anesthesia. This study shows that a drug can affect one nucleus or region without significantly affecting other regions that contain the same transmitter substance, and that changes in transmitter levels can occur selectively in different regions of brain even if the nerve endings are derived from contiguous cell bodies.

Innervation of trigonal area of canine urinary bladder

Adrenergic and cholinergic histochemical staining techniques and in vitro muscle strip responses to adrenergic and cholinergic stimulation and blockade have failed to demonstrate any neuromorphologic or neuropharmacologic differences between the musculature of the canine trigone and that of the underlying detrusor. There is no evidence to suggest that a functional potential could be attributed to the trigone separate from that of the related bladder base.

The effect of bilateral lesions of the ventral noradrenergic bundle on endocrine-induced changes of tyrosine hydroxylase in the rat median eminence

With the microdissection method of Palkovits, individual hypothalamic nuclei were removed from the brains of adult male rats, and the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity of each nucleus was determined 7 days after gonadectomy or thyroidectomy. Following gonadectomy, TH activity increased significantly in the median eminence with no change in the periventricular (NPV), arcuate (NARC), and dorsomedial nuclei (NDM), or medial forebrain bundle (MF). Following thyroidectomy, TH activity increased significantly in all 5 hypothalamic nuclei examined. Placement of bilateral lesions in the ventral norepinephrine bundles resulted in a greater than an 85% fall in the dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activity of the median eminence, arcuate nucleus, and ventromedial nucleus, but had no effect on tyrosine hydroxylase activity measured in those same areas. Furthermore, placement of such lesions had no effect on the endocrine-induced increases of TH activity found in the median eminence following gonadectomy and thyroidectomy, but did prevent the increase of TH activity found in the NPV, NDM, and MFB following thyroidectomy. Three conclusions appear to be justified: (a) noradrenergic axons which innervate the median eminence, arcuate, and ventromedial nuclei course in the ventral norepinephrine bundles; (b) the TH content of noradrenergic neurons in the median eminence, arcuate nucleus, and ventromedial nuclei is quite small; and (c) the majority, if not all, of the endocrine-responsive catecholaminergic neurons in the median eminence are dopaminergic.

Hyperthermia following self-stimulation of the median raphe in the rat

Electrical self-stimulation (SS) in the median raphé of the rat but not in the locus coeruleus resulted in a dramatic rise of body temperature. This hyperthermia was facilitated by pretreatment with a inhibitor of serotonin uptake. The functional significance of the hyperthermia elicited by stimulation of the media raphé was discussed on the basis of the relationship between SS and primary reinforcers.

Biochemical and histochemical studies of biogenic amines in spinal cord trauma

Highly sensitive enzymatic assays, microdissection techniques, and histochemical methods were used to investigate the effects of blunt trauma on rabbit spinal cord serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine concentrations. Within 5 minutes after trauma, norepinephrine and serotonin in gray matter decreased considerably at the lesion center. In white matter, norepinephrine decreased or was unchanged, but at the lesion edges serotonin increased. No changes in dopamine concentration were detected. Substantial changes in monoamines do occur after spinal cord trauma and serotonin may play a role in injury development.

The effect of two diverse inhalation anesthetic agents on serotonin in discrete regions of the rat brain

Sensitive radioisotopic enzymatic methods were used to determine 5-HT levels in 16 different regions of brain from rats anesthetized for 90-105 min with 1% halothane or 18% cyclopropane. These two anesthetics were chosen because of their differing effects on the electroencephalogram and on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. 5-HT levels in the nucleus amygdaloideus centralis, substantia nigra, and nucleus centralis superior were increased after administration of either anesthetic, but only anesthesia with cyclopropane was associated with an increase in 5-HT level in the nucleus raphe dorsalis. The changes in levels of transmitter does not distinguish cause from effect of anesthesia, and further experiments are needed to delineate what role, if any, the specific areas play in muscle relaxation, analgesia, sleep or anesthesia.

The effect of acute chemical sympathectomy on the competence of the canine ureterovesical junction

Selective chemical destruction of the adrenergic nerve terminals in the dog bladder with 6-hydroxydopamine does not result in vesicoureteral reflux. The sympathetic nerve supply of the bladder does not appear to play a role in maintaining the normal competence of the ureterovesical junction.

Localized catecholamine storage associated with granules in murine neuroblastoma cells

Catecholamine storage was examined in cultures of the murine neuroblastoma cell line, N-TD6, using histofluorescence, electron microscopic, isotopic and radioautographic criteria. This line was originally derived from uncloned, C1300 tumor cells by selection in tyrosine deficient medium. N-TD6 cells possess both tyrosine hydroxylase (tyrosine-3-monooxygenase, EC 1.14.16.2) and dopamine beta-hydroxylase (dopamine beta-monooxygenase, EC 1.14.17.1) activities. When examined for paraformaldehyde-induced histofluorescence, a small percentage of cells in the population show intense catecholamine fluorescence, often localized within discrete regions of the cellular processes. Electron microscopic examination of these cells reveals both electron lucent vesicles and more frequent, electron dense granules, 50-70 nm and 100-300 nm in diameter, respectively. The distribution of these granules and vesicles varies, but they appear most numerous near the cell surface, along processes and within process endings. By labeling cells with [3H]dopamine and then allowing the cells to release unbound label in the presence of unlabeled dopamine, the localization of catecholamine stores was visualized by radioautographic techniques. While a variety of intracellular distribution of radioactivity were observed, the most prominent concentrations were found in the processes and their terminals; no labeled material was retained when reserpine was present during uptake. The topographic coincidence of granules, catecholamine fluorescence and [3H]dopamine retention in these neuroblastoma cells suggests that catecholamines are stored within these granules in a manner analogous to that observed in normal adrenergic neurons.

The nyctohemeral rhythm of plasma prolactin: effects of ganglionectomy, pinealectomy, constant light, constant darkness or 6-OH-dopamine administration

In male rats maintained on a 12 h light-dark schedule (6 AM-6 PM), there is a nyctohemeral cycle of plasma prolactin which consists of a nadir at 11:30 AM and an apogee at approximately 11:30 PM. In rats exposed to constant darkness, this rhythm persists for 7 days. Seven days of constant light, however, reverses this diurnal variation such that plasma prolactin levels peak at 11:30 AM and reach a nadir at approximately 11:30 PM. In animals maintained on a 12 h light-dark cycle, ganglionectomy and lateral ventricular injections of 6-OH-dopamine (250 mug) also appear to reverse the diurnal variation of plasma prolactin, whereas a single injection of 6-OH-dopamine (250 mug) into the third ventricle decreases plasma prolactin values at all times intervals but does not alter the diurnal rhythm. Both sites of 6-OH-dopamine administration markedly deplete hypothalamic dopamine and norepinephrine, but injection of 6-OH-dopamine into the lateral ventricle destroys the catecholaminergic terminals in the pineal, whereas injection of 6-OH-dopamine into the third ventricle does not. Pinealectomy slightly increases the early morning values of plasma prolactin, but otherwise has no effect on the diurnal variation of prolactin. Five conclusions appear to be justified: 1) there is a nyctohemeral rhythm of plasma prolactin, which is reversed by constant light; 2) the pineal gland probably plays no role in the diurnal regulation of plasma prolactin secretion; 3) the diurnal rhythm of plasma prolactin is controlled by sympathetic input into the brain via the superior cervical ganglion; 4) a rhythm of plasma prolactin develops in constant light which is the exact opposite of the normal diurnal variation; 5) there appears to be a noradrenergic pathway in the hypothalamus or brainstem which stimulates release of prolactin.

Biochemical and histofluorescence studies of catecholamines in superior cervical ganglia in organ culture

The metabolism of catecholamines in rat superior cervical ganglia in organ culture was examined by biochemical and histofluorescence methods. Pronounced increases in both norepinephrine and dopamine content were observed in the cultured ganglia. Norepinephrine levels were more than doubled after 12 hours in culture and reached a maximum after 24 hours. The greatest increase in norepinephrine concentration occurred in the region of the postganglionic nerve trunks and was correlated with an accumulation of intense catecholamine fluorescence in the stumps of the severed postganglionic nerves. Since the rate of norepinephrine synthesis was unaltered, the increase in norepinephrine levels in cultured ganglia appears to be a result of blocked axoplasmic transport of this amine out of the ganglia. The dopamine content of the cultured preparations was not altered after 24 hours but increased rapidly thereafter and attained a maximum at 48 hours. The changes in dopamine did not parallel the changes in norepinephrine either in time course or distribution. The elevated levels of dopamine were accompanied by an increased rate of dopamine synthesis. It is suggested that the increased dopamine content in cultured ganglia is the result of an enhanced synthesis of this amine by specific dopaminergic cells.

Biochemical mapping of the noradrenergic projection from the locus coeruleus. A model for studies of brain neuronal pathways

Mapping of the noradrenergic projection from neurons in the rat locus coeruleus has been examined by combining a sensitive radioisotopic assay for catecholamines with a microdissection technique to remove multiple separate brain nuclei. The effect of a unilateral locus coeruleus lesion on norepinephrine concentration in 19 brain regions ipsilateral and contralateral to the lesion was determined. Evidence for ipsilateral and bilateral innervation to specific regions is presented, and many regions appear to receive combined innervation from other noradrenergic loci, in addition to that from the locus coeruleus. Fluorescence rating was correlated with biochemical measurement of amine content with these techniques and proportionality was observed over a narrow range. With this proportionality taken into consideration, mapping results obtained by biochemical and fluorescence methods are compared.

Effects of stress on catecholamines and tyrosine hydroxylase activity of individual hypothalamic nuclei

The effects of acute stress on norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) concentrations and of repeated stress on tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity were measured in individual hypothalamic nuclei and other rat brain regions. A microdissection technique and radioisotopic enzymatic assays enables these studies to be performed. NE and DA concentrations were reduced and TH activity increased selectively in the arcuate nucleus. These results suggest that the arcuate nucleus may be selectively involved in the stress response and support the hypothesis that catecholamines in the medial basal hypothalamus mediate certain of the neuroendocrine changes observed in stress.