Summary
Utilizing the unlabeled antibody enzyme method, we report the distribution of hypothalamic elements immunoreactive with antibodies to luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) in the rat. Immunostained elements, resembling neural processes, were distributed along a pathway corresponding to the tuberoinfundibular tract which appeared to terminate near vascular elements in the external layer of the preand post-infundibular median eminence. No cell bodies stained specifically for LH-RH. Similar topographic arrangements were noted (in coronal and sagittal sections) in diestrous females, ovariectomized females and a hypophysectomized male. The same results were obtained with three different preparations of antisera to LH-RH. Our studies agree with those of other investigators using immunohistochemical techniques as well as with localization studies of LH-RH in the hypothalamus using bioassay and radioimmunoassay. Our results suggest that the unlabeled antibody enzyme technique will have unique value for identifying and tracing fiber systems related to specific functions within the hypothalamus.
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This investigation was supported by grants: 1) NCI (1-RO1-CA-15825-01) to J.A.P. and S.L.E. and 2) NIH (7-RO1-NS-11650-02) to T.H.W.
Acknowledgements: The authors wish to express their appreciation to Dr. N. S. Halmi for his critical reading of the manuscript and helpful suggestions and to Ms. Loretta Kral, Helen Fankhauser and Mary Griffey for their technical assistance.
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King, J.C., Parsons, J.A., Erlandsen, S.L. et al. Luteinizing hormone —Releasing hormone (LH-RH) pathway of the rat hypothalamus revealed by the unlabeled antibody peroxidase-antiperoxidase method. Cell Tissue Res. 153, 211–217 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00226609
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00226609