Elsevier

Neuroscience Letters

Volume 327, Issue 3, 26 July 2002, Pages 193-197
Neuroscience Letters

Apelin-immunoreactivity in the rat hypothalamus and pituitary

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3940(02)00411-1Get rights and content

Abstract

With the use of an antiserum against human apelin-36, apelin-immunoreactivity (irAP) was detected in neurons and cell processes of the supraoptic nucleus (SO), paraventricular nucleus (PVH), accessory neurosecretory nuclei (Acc) and suprachiasmatic nucleus. Strongly labeled cells/processes were noted in the internal layer of the median eminence, infundibular stem, anterior and posterior pituitary. Double-labeling the sections with goat polyclonal neurophysin I-antiserum and rabbit polyclonal apelin-antiserum revealed a population of magnocellular neurons in the PVH, SO and Acc expressing both irAP and neurophysin I-immunoreactivity (irNP), the latter being a marker of oxytocin-containing neurons. By inference, the AP-positive but irNP-negative magnocellular neurons could be vasopressin-containing. The presence of irAP in certain hypothalamic nuclei and pituitary suggests that the peptide may be a signaling molecule released from the hypothalamic-hypophysial axis.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by NIH Grant NS18710 and NS39646

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