The nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-like immunoreactive extrahypophysial projections of the neurosecretory preoptic nucleus of the electric ray (elasmobranchs) suggest a neuroregulatory role for this nucleus.

ABSTRACT

The extrahypohysial projections of the neurosecretory preoptic nucleus (PON) of the electric ray were studied with the aid of an antibody against nitric oxide synthase (NOS). PON neurons were the only NOS-like-immunoreactive (NOS-ir) cells in the brain. These neurons gave rise to both hypophysial and extrahypophysial NOS-ir projections. Some fibres coursed from the PON to the neurointermediate lobe in the preoptic-hypophysial tract. Other NOS-ir fibres coursed either rostrally or caudally forming terminal fields in the telencephalon (subpallial region), diencephalon (preoptic nucleus, ventrolateral thalamus and posterior recess nucleus), tuberal region (area tegmentalis ventralis and substantia nigra), mesencephalon (lateral tegmentum), rhombencephalon (isthmal nucleus, vagal viscerosensory column and ventrolateral reticular area) and the spinal cord (intermediate horn). The possible involvement of the extrahypophysial PON projections in neuroregulation of visceral centres is discussed.