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Development of neurophysin‐containing neurons in primary cultures of rat hypothalami is related to the age of the embryo: Morphological study and comparison of in vivo and in vitro neurophysins, oxytocin, and vasopressin content
Author(s) -
Di ScalaGuenot D.,
Strosser M. T.,
Sarlieve L. L.,
Legros J. J.,
Richard P.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
journal of neuroscience research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.72
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1097-4547
pISSN - 0360-4012
DOI - 10.1002/jnr.490250112
Subject(s) - neurophysins , oxytocin , vasopressin , neuropeptide , biology , endocrinology , embryo , medicine , parvocellular cell , hypothalamus , magnocellular cell , in vivo , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , receptor , genetics
The morphological development of immunocytochemically identified neurophysin neurons and the evolution of neuropeptide content (neurophysins, vasopressin, and oxytocin) were studied in primary cultures of hypothalami obtained from 15‐to 19‐day‐old embryos. According to their perikaryal surface, two populations of neurons were distinguished: large and small cells. Full development (defined by the perikaryal surface) of these neurons was reached at day 21 only in cultures from 15‐ or 16‐day‐old embryos. These two types of neurons may correspond to the magnocellular and parvocellular neurons described in vivo. Total neurophysins, vasopressin, and oxytocin content were measured by specific radioimmunoassays. Ontogeny of neurophysins and vasopressin showed a good correlation between cells cultured from 15‐ to 16‐day‐old embryos and hypothalami from age‐matched rats. However, oxytocin was never detected in any of the cultures whatever the age of the embryos. Under our experimental conditions, hypothalamic primary cultures from 15‐ to 16‐day‐old embryos therefore appeared to be suitable for studying the differentiation and regulation of neurophysin‐and vasopressin‐containing neurons.