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Differential Activation of c‐fos Immunoreactivity After Hypophysectomy in Developing and Adult Rats
Author(s) -
Yuan Qiuju,
Scott David E.,
So KwokFai,
Wu Wutian
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the anatomical record: advances in integrative anatomy and evolutionary biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.678
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1932-8494
pISSN - 1932-8486
DOI - 10.1002/ar.20570
Subject(s) - hypophysectomy , endocrinology , medicine , oxytocin , vasopressin , immunostaining , c fos , neuropeptide , biology , gene expression , immunohistochemistry , hormone , gene , biochemistry , receptor
Abstract The aim of the present study is to compare c‐fos expression in identified hypothalamic vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OT) neurons in developing (PN7 and PN14) and adult rats following hypophysectomy using dual‐labeled immunostaining. Our results showed that hypophysectomy induced c‐fos expression in supraoptic (SON) and paraventricular (PVN) nuclei in both the developing and adult rats. Few or no positive cells were observed in the same nuclei in sham‐operated animals. Quantitative analysis for c‐fos and either of the above named neuropeptides revealed that almost all AVP and OT neurons in the adult and PN14 groups expressed c‐fos in response to hypophysectomy. In PN7, hypophysectomy also induced all AVP neurons to express c‐fos in SON and PVN. However, few OT neurons in the SON and PVN produced c‐fos after hypophysectomy. In addition, the time course of c‐fos expression was different in the developing and adult rats after hypophysectomy. The c‐fos expression in the developing rats exhibited a more prolonged induction in which staining for c‐fos persisted for at least 3 days after hypophysectomy compared with that in the adult in which c‐fos immunoreactivity disappeared within 24 hr post‐lesion. This study demonstrates that c‐fos expression after hypophysectomy is regulated differently during development. Anat Rec, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.