Summary
The neurosecretory systems producing mesotocin (MT) and vasotocin (VT) (the avian homologues of oxytocin and vasopressin, respectively) were characterized in the brains of the domestic mallard and Japanese quail by means of indirect immunofluorescence techniques using specific antisera. In the anterior preoptic region, including the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis, and at different levels of the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei, separate mesotocin- and vasotocin-producing neurons were identified. Mesotocinergic and vasotocinergic neurons were also located in the tuberomammillary area, among the ectomammillary tract fibers. The supraoptico-neurohypophysial tract, formed by vasotocin- and mesotocincontaining axons, enters the internal zone of the median eminence and ends in the posterior lobe of the pituitary. The external zone of the rostral median eminence appears to contain vasotocin and mesotocin fibers, which terminate in close contact with the capillaries of the hypophysial portal system.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alonso G, Balmefrezol M, Assenmacher I (1978) Etude de l'innervation monoaminergique et peptidergique de léminence médiane du Rat par une combinaison, sur le même hypothalamus, des techniques d'histofluorescence, d'immunocytochimie et de radioautographie. C R Soc Biol 172:138–143
Antunes L, Carmel P, Zimmerman E (1977) Projections from the paraventricular nucleus to the zona externa of the median eminence of the Rhesus monkey: An immunohistochemical study. Brain Res 137:1–10
Avrameas S (1969) Coupling of enzymes to proteins with glutaraldehyde. Use of the conjugates for the detection of antigens and antibodies. Immunochemistry 6:43–52
Blähser S, Simon E (1977) Immunocytochemical studies on vasotocinergic and mesotocinergic neurons in the hypothalamus of osmotically stressed domestic mallards, p 12 Abstr 9th Conf Europ Comp Endocrinol Giessen
Bons N (1980a) Caractérisation immunocytochimique des systèmes neurosécréteurs à mésotocine et à vasotocine dans l'encéphale du Canard. C R Acad Sci (Paris) 290:113–116
Bons N (1980b) Immunocytochemical localization of neurohormones in bird hypothalamus (in press)
Bons N, Kerdelhué B, Assenmacher I (1977) Présence de neurones élaborateurs de LH-RH dans l'hypothalamus antérieur du Canard (Anas platyrhynchos). CR Acad Sci (Paris) 285:1327–1330
Bons N, Kerdelhué B, Assenmacher I (1978a) Immunocytochemical identification of an LHRH-producing system originating in the preoptic nucleus of the duck. Cell Tissue Res. 188:99–106
Bons N, Kerdelhué B, Assenmacher I (1978b) Mise en évidence d'un deuxième système neurosécrétoire à LH-RH dans l'hypothalamus du Canard. CR Acad Sci (Paris) 287:145–148
Calas A, Kerdelhué B, Assenmacher I (1976) Exploration radioautographique et immunocytochimique du complexe hypothalamo-hypophysaire chez l'Oiseau. Colloque INSERM, AT Neuroendocrinologie Rapport 7:41–48
Crosby EC, Showers MJ (1969) Comparative anatomy of the preoptic and hypothalamic areas. In: Haymaker W et al. (ed) The hypothalamus. Ch C Thomas Ill, pp 61–135
Dierickx K, Vandesande F (1977) Immuno-cytochemical demonstration, in the external region of the amphibian median eminence, of separate vasotocinergic and mesotocinergic nerve fibres. Cell Tissue Res 177:47–56
Dierickx K, Vandesande F, De Mey J (1976) Identification, in the external region of the rat median eminence, of separate neurophysin-vasopressin and neurophysin-oxytocin containing nerve fibres. Cell Tissue Res 168:141–151
Gabrion J, Kerdelhué B, Alonso G, Bosler O, Assenmacher I, Calas A (1978) Vasotocin immunoreactive neurons in the hypothalamus of some nonmammalian vertebrates. In: Bargmann W et al. (ed) Neurosecretion and neuroendocrine activity. Evolution, Structure and Function. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 186–189
Goossens N, Bläsher S, Oksche A, Vandesande F, Dierickx K (1977) Immunocytochemical investigation of the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system in birds. Cell Tissue Res 184:1–13
Goossens N, Dierickx K, Vandesande F (1977) Immunocytochemical localization of vasotocin and isotocin in the preoptico-hypophysial neurosecretory system of teleost. Gen Comp Endocrinol 32:371–375
Krisch B (1978) Light- and electron microscopic localization of vasopressin or a vasopressin-like substance in the neurons of the rat suprachiasmatic nucleus. Cell Tissue Res 194:361–365
Mey de J, Vandesande F, Dierickx K (1974) Identification of neurophysin-producing cells. II. Identification of the neurophysin I and the neurophysin II producing neurons in the bovine hypothalamus. Cell Tissue Res 153:531–543
Mey de J, Dierickx K, Vandesande F (1975) Identification of neurophysin-producing cells. III. Immunohistochemical demonstration of neurophysin I-producing neurons in the bovine infundibular nucleus. Cell Tissue Res 161:219–224
Oksche A, Wilson WO, Farner DS (1964) The hypothalamic neurosecretory system of Coturnix coturnix japonica. Z Zellforsch 61:688–709
Reaves TA, Hayward Jr JN (1979) Immunocytochemical identification of vasopressinergic and oxytocinergic neurons in the hypothalamus of the cat. Cell Tissue Res 196:117–122
Rhees RW, Abel JH, Frame Jr JR (1972) Effect of osmotic stress and hormone therapy on the hypothalamus of the duck (Anas platyrhynchos). Neuroendocrinology 10:1–22
Simon E, Blähser S, Oksche A (1978) Immunocytochemische und physiologische Studien am Nucl. supraopticus and Nucl. paraventricularis der Ente. Annual Meeting of German Neurobiologists. Abstract
Sofroniew MV, Weindl A (1978) Projections from the parvocellular vasopressin- and neurophysin containing neurons of the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Am J Anat 153:391–430
Vandesande F, Dierickx K (1975) Identification of the vasopressin-producing and of the oxytocinproducing neurons in the hypothalamic magnocellular neurosecretory system of the rat. Cell Tissue Res 164:153–162
Vandesande F, Dierickx K (1976) Immunocytochemical demonstration of separate vasotocinergic and mesotocinergic neurons in the amphibian hypothalamic magnocellular neurosecretory system. Cell Tissue Res 175:289–296
Vandesande F, Dierickx K, De Mey J (1975a) Identification of the vasopressin-neurophysin II and the oxytocin-neurophysin I-producing neurons in the bovine hypothalamus. Cell Tissue Res 156:189–200
Vandesande F, Dierickx K, De Mey J (1975b) Identification of the vasopressin-neurophysin producing neurons of the rat suprachiasmatic nuclei. Cell Tissue Res 156:377–380
Vandesande F, Dierickx K, De Mey J (1975c) Identification of separate vasopressin-neurophysin II-and oxytocin-neurophysin I-containing nerve fibers in the external region of the bovine median eminence. Cell Tissue Res 158:509–516
Vandesande F, Dierickx K, De Mey J (1977) The origin of the vasopressinergic and oxytocinergic fibers of the external region of the median eminence of the rat hypophysis. Cell Tissue Res 180:443–452
Weindl A, Sofroniew MV, Wetzstein R (1978) Immunohistochemical demonstration of secretory neurons in the brain of the North American opossum (Didelphys virginiana) and the mole (Talpaeuropaea). Acta Endocrinologica, Suppl 215:121–122
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
With contributions by Dr. B. Kerdelhué, Laboratoire des Hormones Polypeptidiques du CNRS, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bons, N. The topography of mesotocin and vasotocin systems in the brain of the domestic mallard and japanese quail: Immunocytochemical identification. Cell Tissue Res. 213, 37–51 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00236919
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00236919