The Effects of Gonadectomy and Prenatal Testosterone Injection on Galanin Immunoreactive Cells in the Medial Preoptic Area of Rats.
- Author:
In Sik PARK
;
Jin Taek KIM
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Testosterone;
Galanin;
Sexual dimorphic nucleus Medial Preoptic Area;
Gonadectomy;
Immunocytochemistry
- MeSH:
Animals;
Female;
Galanin*;
Gonadal Steroid Hormones;
Gonads;
Humans;
Hypothalamus;
Immunohistochemistry;
Male;
Neurons;
Preoptic Area*;
Rats*;
Sex Characteristics;
Steroids;
Testosterone*
- From:Korean Journal of Anatomy
1997;30(3):259-268
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Within the medial preoptic area[MPOA], several cytoarchitectonically defined cell groups are sexually dimorphic in their morphology. Specially, the sexual dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area[SDN-POA] is reported an example of a morphological sex difference in the rat hypothalamus which is influenced by gonadal steroid hormones. Thus, we detemined the distribution of Galanin-immunoreactive[Gal-I] cells and fibers within MPOA and their morphological response to gonadal steroids which is influenced by gonadectomy or prenatal restosterone treatments were observed. The Gal-I cells were appeared within the medial preoptic area. In the males, the volume and number of Gal-I nerve cell bodies were greater than that of females. But the female which treated prenatal testosterone injection had many Gal-I neurons than infact female. And the males that decreased the volume of gonadal hormone by gonadectomy were decreased the volume and number of Gal-I neurons than that of normal males. These results suggest that galaninergic cells within the medial preoptic area are influenced by gonadal steroid hormone[testosterone] in the regulation of sexually dimorphic function.
