Long-term suspension culture of isolated hypothalamic nuclei of the rat: morphological differentiation and release of substances influencing corticotropin and growth hormone secretion

Individual hypothalamic nuclei were removed from 17-day-old rat embryos with 300 microns punches and maintained in suspension culture. Suspension culture of isolated nuclei appears to be suitable for studying morphological and functional differentiation of neural tissue and release of bioactivity influencing corticotropin and growth hormone release. During the 4 weeks in culture, neurons and glial cells differentiated well in each nucleus studied. The fine structure of the arcuate, periventricular, ventromedial and dorsomedial nuclei resembled that of the adult nuclei with many mature synapses; in contrast, in the neuropil of cultured preoptic, paraventricular and posterior hypothalamic nuclei mature synapses were very few or absent. The release of substances influencing corticotropin and growth hormone secretion by the cultured nuclei was tested in bioassays using anterior pituitary cell cultures and radioimmunoassay of hormones released into the medium. Corticotropin-releasing bioactivity was tested at weekly intervals. Cultured preoptic and paraventricular nuclei released corticotropin-releasing activity for up to 4 weeks whereas arcuate nuclei released corticotropin-releasing activity at 1 week only. The ventromedial and dorsomedial nuclei did not release corticotropin-releasing activity. The release of substances influencing growth hormone secretion was studied between 3 and 11 days in culture. After 3 days the medium of some hypothalamic nuclei stimulated growth hormone secretion, but after 7 and 11 days all cultured nuclei strongly inhibited it. The present findings demonstrate that hypothalamic nuclei can be cultured separately and suggest that neurons capable of releasing corticotropin-releasing activity(ies) are present in the preoptic and paraventricular nuclei of the rat whereas all hypothalamic nuclei studied contain intrinsic neurons capable of synthesizing and secreting somatostatin-like bioactivity.     

后叶加压素在下丘脑的分布和释放途径及失水对正中隆起中后叶加压素的影响

我们用免疫细胞化学方法(ICC)对大白鼠下丘脑中加压素(VP)免疫反应阳性的神经元作了较详细研究。观察到VP阳性神经元存在于下丘脑室旁核(PVN)各亚核、视上核(SON)、交叉上核(SCN)、室周核(PN)及一些附属核团,包括环状核(CN)、交叉后核(RCN)、下丘脑外侧核(HLN)、穹窿周围核(PFN)。且发现一特殊的VP阳性胞体聚集区—很可能是多巴胺神经元聚集区A_(14)中的细胞,位于第三脑室侧壁中1/3段两侧,腹内侧核背侧。本文首次观察到在PVN和SON之间有VP阳性的神经纤维相联系。ICC和免疫电镜研究进一步证明在正中隆起外带存在VP阳性纤维,含大颗粒囊泡的VP末梢紧邻门脉毛细血管。将HRP注入第四脑室用HRP逆行追踪与ICC方法相结合,在PVN中观察到双标细胞,与直接用ICC法所见VP阳性轴突伸入第三脑室腔的结果一致。说明PVN中存在接触脑脊液神经元。干渴动物正中隆起的内、外带中的VP免疫反应明显减弱。     

Different pathways of neurohormonal hypothalamic control of the adrenal cortex function in young and old rats

The pathways of hypothalamic control of the adrenal cortex function were studied in the experiments on young and old male Wistar rats. Immunohistochemical, morphometric, densitometric and radioimmunoassay methods were used. It was shown that in young rats under stress vasopressin (VP) is released into the portal circulation and probably in this way stimulates ACTH and enhances secretion of corticosterone in the adrenal cortex. In old rats stress-reaction is delayed and less adequate compared to young animals. It seems likely that in old rats VP is secreted into the general circulation mainly via the posterior pituitary lobe (PP), exerting a direct influence on the adrenal cortex. The conclusion is made that in old rats regulation of the adrenal cortex function is realised via the pathway phylogenetically more ancient than in young animals.     

Effects of hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus lesion on the cold-stimulated TSH responses to 5-HT in male rats

The effects of lesion of the hypothalamic paraventricular nuclei (PVNx), the main thyrotrophic area, on the cold-stimulated thyrotropin (TSH) responses to intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) 5-HT were studied in male rats. PVNx significantly attentuated the cold-stimulated TSH levels, but significantly affected neither hypothalamic thyrotropin-releasing hormone nor somatostatin content. Serum T3 levels were significantly decreased 8 days after PVNx. Irrespective of the lesion (sham or PVNx), 5-HT infusion (9 micrograms per rat) into the posterior third ventricle attenuated markedly the cold-stimulated TSH levels, whereas infusion into the anterior third ventricle did not. Bilateral 5-HT infusions (2 micrograms per side) into the hypothalamic dorsomedial nuclei significantly decreased serum TSH, but bilateral infusions into the posterior hypothalamic nuclei were without effect. Sham-lesion and PVNx decreased serum prolactin levels without affecting the stimulation of prolactin secretion by i.c.v. 5-HT. These results suggest that the inhibitory effect of i.c.v. 5-HT on TSH secretion and its stimulatory action on prolactin secretion are only partially dependent on the PVN.     

Galanin coexists with vasopressin in the normal rat hypothalamus and galanin's synthesis is increased in the Brattleboro (diabetes insipidus) rat

Galanin is a peptide containing 29 amino acid residues, that is present in the median eminence, in the magnocellular neurons of the supraoptic (SON) and paraventricular nuclei (PVN) of the rat hypothalamus and in the posterior pituitary. We report here that: (1) immunoreactivity for galanin (GAL) and vasopressin coexist in the SON of normal rats, (2) levels of mRNA encoding preprogalanin are markedly elevated in the PVN and SON of Brattleboro (diabetes insipidus) rats, as determined by in situ hybridization histochemistry but (3) levels of GAL-like immunoreactivity (GAL-LI) are significantly reduced in the posterior pituitary of these rats, as determined by radioimmunoassay. We suggest that production and possibly secretion of the peptide GAL may be increased in the Brattleboro rat.     

Survey of neuropeptide gene expression in tumor cell lines.

The presence of 3 different neuropeptide mRNAs with a strict cell-specific expression in vivo was investigated in 13 tumor cell lines from neuroendocrine and in 23 tumor cell lines from non-neuroendocrine origin. Northern blots showed no expression of mRNA for vasopressin (VP) in the 36 tested cell lines. Very low oxytocin (OT) mRNA hybridization signals were detected in the rat pituitary tumor cell line GH4C2 and the rat pancreas tumor cell line RIN5. Both the rat pituitary tumor cell line AtT-20 and the human myeloid leukemia cell line K562, contained proopiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA. The low incidence of VP, OT and POMC gene expression in the tested tumor cell lines was not influenced by treatments inducing differentiation. In contrast, the cholecystokinin (CCK) gene which is widely present in nervous and endocrine systems was abundantly expressed in the human primitive neuroepithelioma cell line SK-N-MC and its clonal derivative SK-N-MC-IX-C. The results indicate that the expression of neuropeptide genes is very rare in tumor cell lines. The lack of expression in undifferentiated cells agrees with the appearance of expression after day 13 of the embryogenesis when maturation of neurons begins.     

Galanin and vasopressin response to hyperosmotic stimulation: in vitro study

Galanin (Gal)--a neuropeptide present in the nervous system and peripheral tissues--may be involved in the regulation of hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system function. It was shown that centrally injected galanin inhibits osmotically stimulated vasopressin (VP) secretion into the blood and reduces VP mRNA level in the supraoptic (SON) and paraventricular (PVN) hypothalamic nuclei. The aim of the present study in vitro was to investigate the influence of Gal on vasopressin release from isolated rat hypothalamus (Hth), neurohypophysis (NH) or hypothalamo-neurohypophysial explants (Hth-NH). The effect of Gal on VP secretion was studied under conditions of direct osmotic (i.e., Na?-evoked) (series 1) as well as nonosmotic (i.e., K?-evoked) (series 2) stimulation. In series 3, vasopressin response to Gal was studied using the neural tissues obtained from animals drinking 2 percent NaCl solution for eight days (indirect osmotic stimulation). Gal in a concentration of 10?1? M and 10?? M inhibited basal VP release from Hth, NH and Hth-NH explants isolated from euhydrated rats as well as from Hth-NH complex of osmotically challenged animals. When the neural tissues obtained from previously salt-loaded rats were incubated in K?-enriched medium the inhibitory effect of Gal was completely blocked. It may be concluded that the effect of Gal is depending on the current functional status of the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system.     

In vivo administration of recombinant growth hormone or gamma interferon activities macrophages: enhanced resistance to experimental Salmonella typhimurium infection is correlated with generation of reactive oxygen intermediates.

Purified and recombinant forms of growth hormone (GH) as well as of recombinant rat gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) enhance the survival of rats deprived of endogenous pituitary GH secretion by hypophysectomy (HX rats) and infected with virulent Salmonella typhimurium. Macrophages obtained from rats with intact pituitaries (pituitary-intact rats) or HX rats that were treated in vivo with either GH or the closely related hormone prolactin released elevated (P less than 0.05) levels of superoxide anion (O2-) after in vitro opsonized-zymosan stimulation compared with those from placebo-treated animals. These levels of O2- release were similar in magnitude to those of macrophages from rats treated in vivo with IFN-gamma. In time course in vivo macrophage activation studies, both IFN-gamma and GH significantly increased O2- secretion within 24 h, with maximal secretion occurring at day 3. Macrophages obtained from pituitary-intact and HX rats injected in vivo with GH also released elevated (P less than 0.05) levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and displayed enhanced (P less than 0.01) phagocytic activity toward opsonized Listeria monocytogenes in vitro. The mechanism of action of GH in vivo is likely to be a direct one because resident peritoneal macrophages from rats could be primed in vitro for enhanced secretion of O2- following triggering of these cells with opsonized zymosan. These data show that in vivo administration of two closely related pituitary hormones, GH and prolactin, can effectively prime macrophages, which is consistent with the hypothesis that GH mediates resistance to S. typhimurium by a direct stimulatory action on macrophages.     

Thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH): its changes in discrete hypothalamic areas after treatment with triiodothyronine, thyroidectomy and acute cold exposure

In order to elucidate the specific thyrotropic area in the hypothalamus, thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) content and concentration were measured in discrete hypothalamic nuclei and areas after triiodothyronine (T3) administration (T3 10 micrograms/rat/day for 6 days), thyroidectomy (TX) and acute cold exposure in male rats. In th TX and T3 groups, serum TSH levels were significantly increased in TX group and markedly decreased in T3 and TX with T3 groups as compared to the sham operated control group (Sham). TX produced a slight but nonsignificant decrease in TRH content in most of the hypothalamic nuclei examined as compared with the Sham group. However, a significant increase in TRH contents was seen in the anterior hypothalamic nucleus (AHN), median eminence (ME) and posterior pituitary (PP) in TX with T3 group as compared to the rats with only TX. In the acute cold stress experiments, serum TSH levels were elevated from 15 to 30 min of 4 degrees C exposure. Together with these peripheral changes, TRH content and concentration in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SC) were increased significantly at 15 min and had returned to the normal level by 30 min after 4 degrees C cold exposure. However, in the paraventricular nucleus (PV) and dorsal premammillary nucleus (PMD), marked decrease in TRH concentrations were observed with this stress. Therefore, 1) decreased TSH release in TX rats treated with T3 was induced by the block of TRH release from the AHN and ME as compared with the TX group, and 2) elevated serum TSH levels in 4 degrees C cold stress might be induced by the release of TRH from the PMD and PV. These experiments demonstrate that the specific hypothalamic area for TSH release was located in some of the anterior and posterior hypothalamic nuclei and in the ME.     

大鼠下丘脑及邻近区域催产素免疫阳性神经元与垂体后叶的关系

本文运用免疫细胞化学PAP及ABC法,显示大白鼠下丘脑内OXT免疫阳性神经元,并于垂体后叶注射WGA-HRP,显示下丘脑中逆行标记细胞,结合免疫细胞化学方法,观察下丘脑及其邻近区域内HRP与OXT双标记细胞,证实下丘脑视上核、室旁核、穹窿前核和后核、血管周细胞群、下丘脑视前区、下丘脑前区及外侧区、背侧副细胞群内、室周部、第三脑室侧壁室管膜细胞下及室间孔部室管膜细胞下,均有OXT免疫阳性神经元,其中至少部分神经元可发出向垂体后叶的投射纤维。位于第三脑室侧壁室管膜下及室间孔部室管膜下的神经元,可能监测脑脊液中各种因素的变化,调节垂体后叶OXT的分泌,也可能直接通过共树突向脑脊液内释放OXT。     

去松果体对下丘脑——神经垂体系激素分泌的影响

目的；探讨松果体对下丘脑－神经垂体系血管加压素，催产素的合成和分泌影响，方法：选用成年雄性Ｗｉｓｔａｒ大鼠，分成正常对照组，假手术对照组和松果体摘除组，按作者改良的手术方法松果体摘除术，术后１，２，４，８周取神经垂体石蜡包埋连续切片，用免疫细胞化学ＳＰ法染色抗血管加压素，催产素和垂体后叶激素运载蛋白抗体，用计算机图像分析仪测定阳性纤维面积，并用放免疫法测血浆激素浓度，结果：松果摘除后神经垂体阳性神     

Age-related changes in rates of basal secretion of immunoreactive vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and dopamine into pituitary stalk blood from the hypothalamus in anesthetized male rats

Age-related changes in prolactin (PRL) in systemic blood plasma, and in secretions of hypothalamic vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), an important candidate for PRL-releasing factor, and dopamine, a PRL-inhibiting factor, into the pituitary stalk blood were investigated. The experiments were performed on male urethane-chloralose-anesthetized Wistar rats of three different ages, i.e., (1) adult rats 5-8 months old, (2) middle-aged rats 12-15 months old, and (3) aged rats 24-26 months old. The concentration of immunoreactive PRL (iPRL) in systemic blood plasma of the aged rats was significantly higher than that of the adult rats (p less than 0.01). The secretion rate of hypothalamic immunoreactive VIP (iVIP) into the pituitary stalk blood was unchanged during aging, while that of dopamine was markedly increased in the aged rats in comparison with the value in both adult and middle-aged rats (p less than 0.01). These results indicate that the basal secretion of hypothalamic VIP is well maintained, while that of hypothalamic dopamine is augmented in aged rats with hyperprolactinemia. It can be assumed that the increase in the pituitary PRL secretion is a primary event during aging in rats, and that a high circulating level of PRL may facilitate the hypothalamic dopamine secretion through the activation of a negative feedback system of the hormone.     

大鼠下丘脑催产素及加压素样神经元与脑啡肽样传入纤维末梢的关系

用免疫组织化学ABC双标记法,显示大鼠下丘脑各大细胞神经分泌核团中催产素样免疫反应(OT-li)、加压素样免疫反应(VP-li)神经元、亮-脑啡肽样免疫反应(L-ENK-li)和甲-脑啡肽样免疫反应(M-ENK-li)纤维末梢,并对不同神经分泌核团内脑啡肽样传入纤维末梢与OT-li及VP-li神经元的关系加以分析。结果发现,L-ENK-li及M-ENK-li纤维末梢在下丘脑各神经分泌核团中,与OT-li及VP-li神经元均有一定程度的接触关系。L-ENK-li与M-ENK-li纤维末梢在第三脑室周、前连合核、背内侧和背外侧副核、穹窿前和后核的OT-li及VP-li神经元周围最密集,在视上核、室旁核次之,在血管周细胞群内的OT-li及VP-li神经元周围密度较低。这些神经分泌性核团内L-ENK-li纤维末梢,均较M-ENK-li纤维末梢密集。表明脑啡肽能传入纤维末梢,与视上核、室旁核及各神经分泌副核(除血管周细胞群外)中的OT-li及VP-li神经元,均有不同程度的接触关系。因此,脑啡肽能传入纤维末梢可能在大细胞神经分泌系统OT-li及VP-li神经元分泌活动的调节中,起较广泛的重要作用。     

大鼠脑内星形胶质细胞对渗透压改变的反应及其和神经元的相互关系

为观察大鼠在饮用 3 % Na Cl溶液 2 d和 5 d时的脑内星形胶质细胞的反应变化及相互关系。本文应用免疫组织化学三重标记法 ,在脑原位切片同时显示 FOS、胶质原纤维酸性蛋白、酪氨酸羟化酶 (或加压素 )的表达、相互关系及分布规律。结果显示 :(1)实验组大鼠脑内孤束核、味觉核、臂旁核、蓝斑、导水管周围灰质的腹外侧区、上丘中灰层、下丘脑室旁核外侧大细胞部、视上核、和穹隆下器同时出现 FOS阳性神经元胞核和胶质原纤维酸性蛋白阳性星形胶质细胞。 (2 )在孤束核、蓝斑、下丘脑室旁核外侧大细胞部和视上核出现酪氨酸羟化酶阳性神经元 ,在下丘脑室旁核外侧大细胞部、下丘脑室旁核腹侧部和视上核等出现加压素阳性神经元。(3 )在孤束核、蓝斑、或下丘脑室旁核外侧大细胞部、视上核的三重免疫组化染色切片上见到胶质原纤维酸性蛋白阳性星形胶质细胞包绕 FOS阳性和酪氨酸羟化酶阳性 (或加压素阳性 )神经元 ,形成复合体。提示 :脑内相关核团内的星形胶质细胞与神经元共同参与对渗透压的调节 ,并以神经元—星形胶质细胞复合体作为功能单位     

The role of hypothalamic hormones in the pathogenesis of pituitary adenomas

There is evidence that hypothalamic hormones can regulate hormone secretion by pituitary adenomas. Hormone release by adenomas can be stimulated by hypothalamic releasing peptides; several hypothalamic inhibitory hormones or their analogues are used in the therapy of pituitary tumors to suppress hormone secretion and, in some cases, to reduce tumor size. A role for hypothalamic hormones in the development and growth of pituitary tumors has also been suggested by the association of pituitary adenomas with tumors producing hypothalamic hormones. In particular, tumors producing growth hormone-releasing hormone (GRH) or corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) have been associated with hyperplasia of their target adenohypophysial cells; a few have had pituitary neoplasms. Investigations have shown that some adenohypophysial cells respond to sustained stimulation by hypothalamic peptides with cell proliferation, however, it was not proven that the sustained stimulation resulted in the development of tumors. Recently, an animal model of disease was provided by mice transgenic for GRH. At 8 months of age, the mice developed pituitary mammosomatotroph hyperplasia; mice older than 12 months developed pituitary mammosomatotroph adenoma. It is suggested that continued hormonal stimulation plays a role in tumorigenesis, probably by promotion of cell replication.     

Electron microscope immunohistochemical localization of vasopressin in the hypothalamus and neurohypophysis of the normal and brattleboro rat

Using an immunoperoxidase technique at the ultrastructural level, vasopressin was localized in the axons of both the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei, in the internal zone of the median eminence and the posterior pituitary but not in the perikarya of the neurosecretory neurons. A complete absence of histochemical reaction was found in the hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal tract of the rat with hereditary hypothalamic diabetes insipidus (Brattleboro strain).     

大鼠脑中催产素和加压素免疫反应性物质的分布

用ABC法研究大鼠脑中催产素(OT)和加压素(VP)免疫反应性物质的分布。阳性细胞主要局限于下丘脑,而阳性纤维则广泛分布于下丘脑和脑干等部位。OT和VP的分布情况有差别。在视上核和室旁核大细胞后部,VP阳性大细胞明显地比OT大细胞密集;同样,在向正中隆起方向行走的阳性纤维束中,VP纤维也占大多数。而在室旁核尾部的小细胞内侧部,中小型OT阳性细胞比VP细胞密集;并且,在脑干的孤束核、三叉神经脊束核、迷走神经背核、疑核、臂旁核和蓝斑核中,OT阳性纤维也占主要地位。实验结果提示,下丘脑的OT和VP能神经元除参与垂体后叶内分泌外,还可能直接支配一些脑干内脏核。推测在正常生理状态下,垂体后叶的VP分泌可能比OT分泌占有更重要的地位;而OT则可能在充当神经递质或调制物在参与下丘脑对脑干内脏核团的调节中有更重要的位置。     

Lack of somatic mutation in a kappa light chain transgene

Analysis of mice transgenic for immunoglobulin genes should allow definition of the cis-acting DNA sequences required to target somatic mutation to antibody V genes. We have looked for mutations in a chimeric kappa transgene encoding a V region specific for the hapten 2-phenyloxazolone (phOx) linked to a rat C kappa gene. Two independent lines of transgenic mice were hyperimmunized with phOx and splenic hybridomas established. In B cells that had been selected by antigen and which used mouse anti-phOx genes, the endogenous sequences were found to be mutated whereas the transgene remained unchanged. These results suggest either that (a) if the transgene is a "passenger" gene expressed at a low level, transgene mutation is a rare event, or that (b) sequences far from the kappa coding region are necessary to direct somatic mutation.     

Co-expression of vasopressin and androgen-binding protein in the rat hypothalamus

In previous studies we have observed the expression of androgen binding protein (ABP) in the rat hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system. With immunocytochemical double staining we found partial co-localization with oxytocin. In the present study we used antibodies to the anti-diuretic hormone arginine vasopressin (AVP) for co-localization with ABP in the rat hypothalamus. Both antigens were seen in the magnocellular paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei. Dense fiber networks with varicosities containing both AVP and ABP immunoreactivity were visible throughout the hypothalamus, the median eminence and in the posterior pituitary lobe. Double immunostaining revealed also co-existence in the parvocellular portion of the paraventricular nucleus and in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. ABP immunoreactive neurons in the preoptic region were devoid of AVP staining, AVP neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis stained only occasionally for ABP. We conclude that both the magnocellular and the parvocellular hypothalamic vasopressin systems are capable of expressing the steroid binding globulin, which is probably subject to axonal transport, along with the peptide hormone. Intrahypothalamic expression of ABP may be among the mechanisms necessary for rapid actions of steroids on hypothalamic neuroendocrine systems.