Functional changes of the neuronal and glial elements at the surface of the external layer of the median eminence

Summary The vascular surface of the external layer of the median eminence is composed of neuronal and glial processes. Neuro-vascular contacts are supposed to be necessary for the release of hypophysiotropic neurohormones.The present study confirms the hypothesis that the relative extent of neuro-vascular and glio-vascular contacts varies under different functional conditions of the tubero-hypophysial system. Morphometric analysis shows that in normal rats about 20% of the surface is lined by neuro-vascular contacts. After bilateral adrenalectomy the neuro-vascular contacts are enlarged to 40% whereas application of an extract of stalk-median eminence tissue is followed by a decrease of the neuro-vascular contacts to 15%. The implications of these results are discussed.A grant of the Landesamt für Forschung NRW is gratefully acknowledged.