Immunolocalization of high molecular weight kininogen (HKg) and T kininogen (TKg) in the rat hypothalamus.

Specific HKg immunostaining detected with antiserum against the light chain (LC) of HKg was restricted to SRIF neurons of the hypothalamic periventricular area projecting to median eminence (ME). Heavy chain (HC) immunoreactivity related to HKg and/or low molecular weight kininogen (LKg) was found in some other hypothalamic territories. Specific TKg was mainly associated with vasopressin in neurons of suprachiasmatic (SCN), supraoptic (SON) and paraventricular (PVN) nuclei. By direct RIA, hypothalamus was found to contain the highest level of TKg (10ng/mg protein) and after trypsin hydrolysis and HPLC separation of kinins, 10.3 pg BK and 7.3 pg T-kinin/mg protein.