RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CATECHOLAMINERGIC OR SEROTONIN- IMMUNOREACTIVE TERMINALS AND OXYTOCINOR VASOPRESSINCONTAINING CELLS OF THE HYPOTHALAMUS IN THE RAT / 解剖学报

ABSTRACT

The monoaminergic afferents to the magnocellular neurosecretory neurons in the hypothalamic supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei (SON and PVN) have been studied in many aspacts. In the present paper, double immunohistochemistry staining method was used to visualize catecholaminergic, i.e. tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive (TH-ir), and serotonin- immunoreactive (5-HT-ir) terminals on oxytocin (OT)- and vasopressin (VP)- containing cells and dendrites not only in the SON and PVN, but also in most of the accessory magnocellular neurosecretory nuclei of the hypothalamus in the rat. Both the 5-HT-ir and TH-ir terminals were found in close proximity to the OT- and VP- containing cells and dendrites in various magnocellular neurosecretory cell groups, but differing in their density. There was fairly high density of the TH-ir endings in most of the accessory neurosecretory cell groups of the hypothalamus. Fairly high to moderate density of the 5-HT-ir terminals were mainly found in the accessory cell groups. It seems that the magnocellular neurosecretory cell groups are differently regulated by CA and 5-HT inputs.