Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Normal plasma growth hormone levels in growth-retarded weanling rats with dorsomedial hypothalamic lesions

  • Published:
Experimental Brain Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Weanling rats received bilateral electrolytic lesions destroying the areas of the ventromedial (VMN) and dorsomedial (DMN) hypothalamic nuclei, respectively. Trunk blood was collected at sacrifice (Experiment 1 and 2∶ 31 days, Experiment 3∶ 14 days) for the determination of plasma growth hormone (GH) by radioimmunoassay. Rats with DMN lesions showed consistently normal to slightly elevated plasma GH levels while animals with VMN lesions showed significantly reduced plasma GH levels. Linear growth was reduced by both types of hypothalamic lesions but body weight gains and food intake were reduced only in the DMN lesioned rats. Carcass fat was greatly elevated in VMN lesioned rats, moderately elevated in one experiment in the DMN animals and normal in another experiment. These data confirm a previous hypothesis that growth retardation in DMN rats is not due to low circulating GH level but rather represents a hypocaloric-type dwarfism.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arees, E.A., Mayer, J.: Anatomical connections between medial and lateral regions of the hypothalamus concerned with food intake. Science 157, 1574–1575 (1967)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bernardis, L.L., Box, B.M., Stevenson, J.A.F.: Growth following hypothalamic lesions in the weanling rat. Endocrinology 72, 684–692 (1963)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • — Skelton, F.R.: Stereotaxic localization of supraoptic, ventromedial and mamillary nuclei in rats from weaning to maturity. Amer. J. Anat. 116, 69–74 (1965)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • —: Growth and obesity following ventromedial hypothalamic lesions placed in female rats at four different ages. Neuroendocrinology 1, 265–275 (1965/1966)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • —: Growth and obesity in male rats after placement of ventromedial hypothalamic lesions at four different ages. J. Endocr. 38, 351–352 (1967)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • —: Frohman, L.A.: Plasma and pituitary growth hormone levels in rats with hypothalamic lesions, p. 83. Miami, Fla: Endocr. Soc. Ann. Meetg. 1967

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernardis, L.L., Frohman, L.A.: Effect of lesion size in the ventromedial hypothalamus on growth hormone and insulin levels in the weanling rat. Neuroendocrinology 6, 319–328 (1970)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • —: Participation of the dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus in the “feeding center” and water intake circuitry of the weanling rat. J. Neurovisceral Relat. 31, 387–398 (1970)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • —: Frohman, L.A.: Effect of hypothalamic lesions at different loci on development of hyperinsulinemia and obesity in the weanling rat. J. comp. Neurol. 141, 107–118 (1971)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • —: Plasma growth hormone response to electrical stimulation of the hypothalamus in the rat. Neuroendocrinology 7, 193–201 (1971)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • — Delayed ventricular changes in the hypothalamus of the weanling rat following electrolytic lesions of the ventromedial nucleus. J. Neurovisceral Relat. 32, 347–354 (1972)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • — Goldman, J. K.: Effect of hypothalamic lesion localization and size on metabolic alterations in weanling rats adipose tissue. J. Neurovisceral Relat. 32, 253–269 (1972a)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • — Hypophagia, hypodipsia, hypoactivity following dorsomedial hypothalamic lesions. Physiol. Behav. 8, 1161–1164 (1972)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • — Goldman, J.K.: Growth and metabolic changes in weanling rats with lesions in the dorsomedial hypothalamic nuclei. Exp. Brain Res. 15, 424–429 (1972b)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Christ, J.F.: Derivation and boundaries of the hypothalamus, with atlas of the hypothalamic gcrisea. In: The Hypothalamcus. Ed. by W. Haymaker, E. Anderson, W. J.H. Nauta. Springfield, Ill.: Charles C. Thomas 1969

    Google Scholar 

  • DeGroot, J.: The rat forebrain in stereotaxic coordinates. Verhandel Koninl. Akad. Wetenschap. LIT, No. 4 (1959)

  • Dhariwal, A.P.S., Krulich, L., Katz, S.H., McCann, S.M.: Purification of growth hormonerebasing factor. Endocrinology 77, 932–936 (1965)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Folch, J., Lees, M., Sloane-Stanley, G.H.: A simple method for the isolation and purification of total lipids from animal tissue. J. biol. Chem. 226, 497–509 (1957)

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Franz, J., Haselbach, C.H., Libert, O.: Studies of the effect of hypothalamic extracts on somatotrophic pituitary function. Acta endocr. (Kbh.) 41, 336–350 (1962)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Frohman, L.A., Bernardis, L.L.: Growth hormone and insulin levels in weanling rats with ventromedial hypothalamic lesions. Endocrinology 82, 1125–1132 (1968)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • —, Kant, K.: Effect of hypothalamic stimulation on pituitary and plasma growth hormone levels in rats. Science 162, 580–582 (1968)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goldman, J.K., Schnatz, J.D., Bernardis, L.L., Frohman, L.A.: Adipose tissue metabolism of weanling rats after destruction of the ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei: Effect of hypophysectomy and growth hormone. Metabolism 19, 995–1005 (1970)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Guillery, R.W.: Degeneration in the hypothalamic connexions of the albino rat. J. Anat. (Lond.) 91, 91–115 (1957)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Halasz, B.: The role of the hypothalamic hypophysiotrophic area in the control of growth hormone secretion. Int. Symposium on Growth Hormone. Excerpta Med. Int. Cong. Ser. 158, 204–210 (1968)

    Google Scholar 

  • Han, P.W., Lin, C.H., Chu, K.C., Mu, J.Y., Liu, A.C.: Hypothalamic obesity in weanling rats. Amer. J. Physiol. 209, 627–631 (1965)

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Krulich, L., Dhariwal, A.P.S., McCann, S.H.: Stimulatory and inhibitory effects of purified hypothalamic extracts on growth hormone release from rat pituitary in vitro. Endocrinology 83, 783–790 (1968)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • —: McCann, S.M.: Effect of GH releasing factor and GH inhibiting factor on the release and concentration of GH in pituitaries incubated in vitro. Endocrinology 85, 319–324 (1969)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • —: Quijada, L., Illner, P.: Localization of prolaetin-inhibiting factor (PIF), P-releasing factor (PRF), growth hormone releasing factor (GRF) and GIF activities in the hypothalamus of the rat, p. 82. 53rd Ann. San Francisco: Meetg. Endocr. Soc. 1971

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, J.B.: Plasma growth hormone (GH) response to hypothalamic or extrahypothalamic electrical stimulation. Endocrinology 91, 107–115 (1972)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, J., Reichlin, S.: Plasma thyrotropin (TSH) response to hypothalamic electrical stimulation and to injection of synthetic thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH). Endocrinology 90, 1079–1085 (1972)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Matano, S., Sakai, A., Ban, T.: Dendritic arborization of the hypothalamus in the mouse. Med. J. Osaka Univ. 20, 1–6 (1989)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mess, B., Zanisi, M., Tima, L.: Site of production of releasing and inhibiting factors. Martini, L., Motta, M., Fraschini, F., eds. pp. 239–276. Academic Press 1970

  • Millhouse, O.E.: A Golgi study of the descending medial forebrain bundle. Brain Res. 15, 341–363 (1969)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Montemurro, D. G.: Weight and histology of the pituitary gland in castrated male rats with hypothalamic lesions. J. Endocr. 30, 57–67 (1964)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Palka, Y., Liebelt, R.A., Critchlow, V.: Obesity and increased growth following partieal or complete isolation of ventromedial hypothalamus. Physiol. Behav. 7, 187–194 (1972)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schally, A.V., Steelman, S.L., Bowers, G.Y.: Effect of hypothalamic extracts on release of growth hormone. Proc. Soc. exp. Biol. (N.Y.) 119, 208–212 (1965)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Szentágothai, J., Flerko, B., Mess, B., Halasz, B.: Hypothalamic control of the anterior pituitary. Third Edition. Budapest: Akademiai Kiado 1968

    Google Scholar 

  • Toivola, P.T.K., Gale, C.C.: Stimulation of growth hormone by microinjection of norepinephrine into hypothalamus of baboons. Endocrinology 90, 895–902 (1972)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Surgery and Pathology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA

    Lee L. Bernardis

Authors
  1. Lee L. Bernardis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

This investigation was supported in part by U.S.P.H.S. grants HD 03331 and AM 14118, N.I.H. and by Natl. Inst. of Gen. Med. Sciences, Grant GM 15768.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bernardis, L.L. Normal plasma growth hormone levels in growth-retarded weanling rats with dorsomedial hypothalamic lesions. Exp Brain Res 18, 374–382 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00239106

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00239106

Key words

Search

Navigation