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Immunological Localization and Ontogenetic Development of Inhibin α Subunit in Rat Brain
Author(s) -
Fujimura,
Ohsawa,
Masayuki Funaba,
Murata,
Daisuke Takahashi,
] Abe,
Torii
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of neuroendocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.062
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1365-2826
pISSN - 0953-8194
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2826.1999.00310.x
Subject(s) - endocrinology , medicine , dentate gyrus , glial fibrillary acidic protein , biology , hippocampal formation , hypothalamus , cerebral cortex , immunohistochemistry , hippocampus , arcuate nucleus , protein subunit , immunocytochemistry , limbic lobe , neuroscience , biochemistry , gene
This study examined the immunolocalization and ontogeny of the inhibin‐specific α subunit in the brain of male rats. Immunohistochemistry using antiserum directed against the mature region of porcine inhibin α (1–19, Tyr20) revealed positive reactions in process‐bearing cells resembling astroglia in several regions, especially in the dorsal region of the third ventricle, medial and ventral arcuate nucleus, hippocampal dentate gyrus, and layers 1–3 of the cerebral cortex. Generally, inhibin α ‐positive cells in the limbic cortex had larger cell bodies and longer processes than those in the hypothalamus. These inhibin α ‐positive cells were verified to be positive for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a differentiated astroglial marker, by double immunolabelling. The expression of inhibin α mRNA was higher in the brains of neonatal rats than in those of adult rats, as revealed by reverse transcription‐competitive polymerase chain reaction, although the similar changes of immunoreactive inhibin α subunit in the brain was not observed. Orchiectomy did not affect expression of inhibin α mRNA in the hypothalamic area. This study suggests that inhibin‐related peptide is produced by differentiated astrocytes, especially in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus, the hippocampal dentate gyrus, and the cerebral cortex, and that the expression of inhibin α is regulated during brain development.