Summary
The presence of the CRF-containing neurons in the hypothalamus was investigated in four different species (cats, dogs, pigs, and monkeys) by the peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique using specific anti-serum to CRF. In all animals examined, CRF-containing perikarya were found mainly in the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei, and a small number of the immunoreactive cells were observed in the accessory supraoptic nucleus and the lateral hypothalamic area. The size of the CRF-containing perikarya ranged from 20–35 μm in diameter. These findings suggest that the magnocellular paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei are the center not only of the classical neurosecretory system for the production of the posterior lobe hormones, but also that of the CRF neuronal system.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Antunes JC, Carmel PW, Zimmerman EA (1977) Projection from the paraventricular nucleus to the zona externa of the median eminence of the rhesus monkey: An immunohistochemical study. Brain Res 137:1–10
Antunes JC, Zimmerman EA (1978) The hypothalamic magnocellular system of the rhesus monkey: An immunohistochemical study. J Comp Neurol 181:539–566
Dierickx K, Vandesande F, De Mey J (1976) Identification in the external region of the rat median eminence of separate neurophysin-vasopressin and neurophysin-oxytocin containing nerve fibers. Cell Tissue Res 168:141–151
George JM, Jacobovitz DM (1975) Localization of vasopressin in discrete areas of the rat hypothalamus. Brain Res 93:363–369
Gillies G, Lowry PJ (1979) Corticotropin releasing factor may be modulated vasopressin. Nature 278:463–464
Hashimoto K, Murakami K, Ohno N, Kageyama J, Aoki Y, Takahara J, Ota Z (1982a) A specific radioimmunoassay for corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) using synthetic ovine CRF. Life Sci (in press)
Hashimoto K, Ohno N, Aoki Y, Kageyama J, Takahara J, Ofuji T (1982b) Distribution and characterization of corticotropin-releasing factor and arginine-vasopressin in rat hypothalamic nuclei. Neuroendocrinology 34:32–37
Kawata M (1982) Immunohistochemistry of the oxytocin and vasopressin of the dog and rat under normal and experimental conditions. In: Sano Y, Zimmerman EA, Ibata Y (eds) Structure and function of peptidergic and aminergic neurons. Jone Wiley and Sons, New York (in press)
Kawata M, Sano Y (1982) Immunohistochemical identification of the oxytocin and vasopressin neurons in the hypothalamus of the monkey (Macaca fuscata). Anat Embryol (in press)
Kawata M, Hashimoto K, Takahara J, Sano Y (1982a) Immunohistochemical demonstration of corticotropin releasing factor containing nerve fibers in the median eminence of the rat and monkey. Histochemistry 75 (in press)
Kawata M, Hashimoto K, Takahara J, Sano Y (1982b) Immunohistochemical identification of corticotropin releasing factor containing neurons in the rat hypothalamus. Cell Tissue Res (submitted for publication).
Kawata M, Hashimoto K, Takahara J, Sano Y (1982c) Immunohistochemical identification of the corticotropin releasing factor (CRF)-containing nerve fibers in the pig hypophysis, with special reference to the relationship between CRF and posterior lobe hormones. Arch Histol Jpn (in press)
Krieger DT, Liotta A, Brownstein MJ (1977) Corticotropin-releasing factor distribution in normal and Brattleboro rat brain, and effect of deafferentation, hypophysectomy and steroid treatment in normal animals. Endocrinology 100:227–237
Lang RE, Voigt KH, Fehm HL, Pfeiffer EF (1976) Localization of corticotropin-releasing activity in the rat hypothalamus. Neurosci Lett 2:19–22
Lechan RM, Nestler JL, Jacobson S, Reichlin S (1980) The hypothalamic tuberoinfundibular system of the rat as demonstrated by horseradish peroxidase (HRP) microiontophoresis. Brain Res 195:13–27
Makara GB, Stark E, Karteszi M, Palkovits M, Rappy G (1981) Effects of paraventricular lesions on stimulated ACTH release and CRF in stalk-median eminence of the rat. Am J Physiol 240:E441-E446
Paull WK, Schöler J, Arimura A, Meyer CA, Chang JK, Chang C, Simizu M (1982) Immunocytochemical localization of CRF in the ovine hypothalamus. Peptides 3:183–191
Reaves TA Jr, Hayward JN (1979) Immunocytochemical identification of vasopressinergic and oxytocinergic neurons in the hypothalamus of the cat. Cell Tissue Res 196:117–122
Rivier C, Brownstein M, Spiess J, Rivier J, Vale W (1982) In vivo corticotropin-releasing factor-induced secretion of adrenocorticotropin, β-endorphin, and corticosterone. Endocrinology 110:272–278
Spiess J, Rivier J, Rivier C, Vale W (1981) Primary structure of corticotropin-releasing factor from ovine hypothalamus. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 78:6517–6521
Swanson LW, Kuypers HGJM (1980) The paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus: Cytoarchitectonic subdivisions and the organization of projection to the pituitary, dorsal vagal complex and spinal cord as demonstrated by retrograde fluorescence double methods. J Comp Neurol 194:555–570
Takebe K, Yasuda N, Greer MA (1975) A sensitive and simple in vitro assay for corticotropin releasing substances utilizing ACTH release from cultured anterior pituitary cells. Endocrinology 97:1248–1255
Vale W, Spiess J, Rivier C, Rivier J (1981) Characterization of a 41-residue ovine hypothalamic peptide that stimulates secretion of corticotropin and β-endorphin. Science 213:1394–1397
Vandesande F, Dierickx K (1975) Identification of the vasopressin producing and of the oxytocin producing neurons in the hypothalamic neurosecretory system of the rat. Cell Tissue Res 164:153–162
Vandesande F, Dierickx K, De Mey J (1975) Identification of the vasopressin-neurophysin II and the oxytocin-neurophysin I producing neurons in the bovine hypothalamus. Cell Tissue Res 156:189–200
Vandesande F, Dierickx K, De Mey J (1977) The origin of the vasopressinergic and oxytocinergic fibers of the external region of the median eminence of the rat hypophysis. Cell Tissue Res 180:443–452
Watkins WB (1976) Immunocytochemical study of the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system. Cell Tissue Res 175:165–181
Watkins WB, Choy VJ (1977) Immunocytochemical study of the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system. Cell Tissue Res 180:491–503
Wiegand SJ, Price JL (1980) The cells of origin of the afferent fibers to the median eminence in the rat. J Comp Neurol 192:1–19
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by a grant (No. 56440022) from the Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture, Japan
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kawata, M., Hashimoto, K., Takahara, J. et al. Immunohistochemical demonstration of the localization of corticotropin releasing factor-containing neurons in the hypothalamus of mammals including primates. Anat Embryol 165, 303–313 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00305569
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00305569