TY - JOUR
T1 - Sex difference and steroidal stimulation of galanin immunoreactivity in the ferret's dorsal preoptic area/anterior hypothalamus
AU - Park, Joong Jean
AU - Baum, Michael J.
AU - Tobet, Stuart A.
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2007 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 1997/12/15
Y1 - 1997/12/15
N2 - A sexually dimorphic male nucleus (MN) is seen in Nissl-stained sections from the dorsal preoptic area/anterior hypothalamus (dPOA/AH) of male, but not female, ferrets. We used immunohistochemical methods to determine whether particular neuropeptides are found in cells of the MN. A sexually dimorphic cluster of galanin-immunoreactive (IR) cells was found in the dPOA/AH of ferrets killed either on embryonic day (E) 38 or in adulthood. Significantly more galanin-IR cells were distributed in the MN and in other subregions of the dPOA/AH of intact breeding males than estrous females. The density of galanin-IR cells in the dPOA/AH was significantly reduced in adult males by castration and restored to the level of intact breeding males by dally injections of testosterone propionate (TP) for 5 weeks. The same TP treatment failed to augment the density of galanin-IR cells in the dPOA/AH of adult, ovariectomized females. Computer-assisted image analysis and grid-crossing analysis showed that the area and the number of galanin-IR fibers in the dPOA/AH were significantly greater in adult females than in males, regardless of subjects concurrent steroidal condition. A cluster of galanin-IR cells was present in the dPOA/AH of males, but not females, killed on either E34 or E38. Administration of TP between E28 and E37 significantly increased the density of galanin-IR cells in the dPOA/AH of females killed on E38, up to the level seen in control males. The results suggest that the capacity of cells located in the dPOA/AH to express galanin after adult steroid exposure is sexually differentiated by the fetal action of testostorone, or its metabolite, estradiol, in males.
AB - A sexually dimorphic male nucleus (MN) is seen in Nissl-stained sections from the dorsal preoptic area/anterior hypothalamus (dPOA/AH) of male, but not female, ferrets. We used immunohistochemical methods to determine whether particular neuropeptides are found in cells of the MN. A sexually dimorphic cluster of galanin-immunoreactive (IR) cells was found in the dPOA/AH of ferrets killed either on embryonic day (E) 38 or in adulthood. Significantly more galanin-IR cells were distributed in the MN and in other subregions of the dPOA/AH of intact breeding males than estrous females. The density of galanin-IR cells in the dPOA/AH was significantly reduced in adult males by castration and restored to the level of intact breeding males by dally injections of testosterone propionate (TP) for 5 weeks. The same TP treatment failed to augment the density of galanin-IR cells in the dPOA/AH of adult, ovariectomized females. Computer-assisted image analysis and grid-crossing analysis showed that the area and the number of galanin-IR fibers in the dPOA/AH were significantly greater in adult females than in males, regardless of subjects concurrent steroidal condition. A cluster of galanin-IR cells was present in the dPOA/AH of males, but not females, killed on either E34 or E38. Administration of TP between E28 and E37 significantly increased the density of galanin-IR cells in the dPOA/AH of females killed on E38, up to the level seen in control males. The results suggest that the capacity of cells located in the dPOA/AH to express galanin after adult steroid exposure is sexually differentiated by the fetal action of testostorone, or its metabolite, estradiol, in males.
KW - Bed nucleus of stria terminalis
KW - Medial amygdala
KW - Neuropeptide
KW - Testosterone
KW - Ventromedial hypothalamus
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0030670347&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/(SICI)1096-9861(19971215)389:2<277::AID-CNE7>3.0.CO;2-Z
DO - 10.1002/(SICI)1096-9861(19971215)389:2<277::AID-CNE7>3.0.CO;2-Z
M3 - Article
C2 - 9416922
AN - SCOPUS:0030670347
SN - 0021-9967
VL - 389
SP - 277
EP - 288
JO - Journal of Comparative Neurology
JF - Journal of Comparative Neurology
IS - 2
ER -