Morphological characterization of relationship between gap junctions and gonadotropin releasing hormone nerve terminals in the rat median eminence

The present study aimed to reveal possible morphological relationships between gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) nerve terminals and gap junctions in the median eminence. Coronal brain sections from castrated male rats were dual immunostained with GnRH and either connexin 26, 32, or 43, and exam...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neuroscience letters 1999-02, Vol.261 (1), p.105-108
Main Authors: Tsukahara, Shinji, Maekawa, Fumihiko, Tsukamura, Hiroko, Hirunagi, Kanjun, Maeda, Kei-ichiro
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Astrocyte
Astrocytes - chemistry
Astrocytes - physiology
Biological and medical sciences
Cell Membrane - chemistry
Cell Membrane - physiology
Cell Membrane - ultrastructure
Connexin
Connexin 26
Connexin 43 - analysis
Connexins - analysis
Fluorescent Antibody Technique
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gap junction
Gap Junction beta-1 Protein
Gap Junctions - chemistry
Gap Junctions - physiology
Gap Junctions - ultrastructure
Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein - analysis
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone - analysis
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone - physiology
Hormones and neuropeptides. Regulation
Hypothalamus. Hypophysis. Epiphysis. Urophysis
Male
Median eminence
Median Eminence - chemistry
Median Eminence - cytology
Median Eminence - physiology
Microscopy, Confocal
Microscopy, Electron
Presynaptic Terminals - chemistry
Presynaptic Terminals - physiology
Presynaptic Terminals - ultrastructure
Rats
Rats, Wistar
Vertebrates: endocrinology
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Summary:The present study aimed to reveal possible morphological relationships between gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) nerve terminals and gap junctions in the median eminence. Coronal brain sections from castrated male rats were dual immunostained with GnRH and either connexin 26, 32, or 43, and examined by confocal laser microscopy. Connexin 43-immunoreactive puncta were distributed between GnRH-immunoreactive fibers, and some of them were colocalized with GnRH-immunoreactivities. Dual immunostaining with connexin 43 and glial fibrillary acidic protein revealed that most of the puncta were located in astrocytes. At the immunoelectron microscopic level, connexin 43-immunoreactivities were mainly located on the plasma membranes of glial-like processes. Few connexin 26- or connexin 32-immunoreactivities were found in the median eminence. The present results indicate the possibility that gap junctions play a role in the GnRH release at the median eminence.
ISSN:0304-3940
1872-7972
DOI:10.1016/S0304-3940(99)00017-8