Sex difference and steroidal stimulation of galanin immunoreactivity in the ferret's dorsal preoptic area/anterior hypothalamus
- Authors
- Park J.-J.; Baum M.J.; Tobet S.A.
- Issue Date
- 1997
- Keywords
- Bed nucleus of stria terminalis; Medial amygdala; Neuropeptide; Testosterone; Ventromedial hypothalamus
- Citation
- Journal of Comparative Neurology, v.389, no.2, pp 277 - 288
- Pages
- 12
- Indexed
- SCOPUS
- Journal Title
- Journal of Comparative Neurology
- Volume
- 389
- Number
- 2
- Start Page
- 277
- End Page
- 288
- URI
- https://scholarworks.korea.ac.kr/kumedicine/handle/2020.sw.kumedicine/25652
- DOI
- 10.1002/(SICI)1096-9861(19971215)389:2<277::AID-CNE7>3.0.CO;2-Z
- ISSN
- 0021-9967
1096-9861
- Abstract
- 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.
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Collections - 1. Basic Science > Department of Physiology > 1. Journal Articles
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