Vol 49, No 4 (2011)
Original paper
Published online: 2012-01-16
Distribution and chemical coding pattern of the cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) immunoreactivity in the preoptic area of the pig
DOI: 10.5603/FHC.2011.0083
Folia Histochem Cytobiol 2011;49(4):604-614.
Abstract
This study provides a detailed description of cocaine-and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART)
distribution and the co-localization pattern of CART and gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH), somatostatin
(SOM), neuropeptide Y (NPY), cholecystokinin (CCK), and substance P (SP) in the preoptic area
(POA) of the domestic pig. The POA displays a low density of immunoreactive cells and rich immunoreactivity
for CART in fibers. CART-immunoreactive (CART-IR) cell bodies were single and faintly stained, and located
in the medial preoptic area (MPA) and the periventricular region of the POA. A high density of immunoreactive
fibers was observed in the periventricular preoptic nucleus (PPN); a high to moderate density of fibers was
observed in the MPA; but in the dorso-medial region of the MPA the highest density of fibers in the whole POA
was observed. The lateral preoptic area (LPA) exhibited a less dense concentration of CART-immunoreactive
fibers than the MPA. The median preoptic nucleus (MPN) showed moderate to low expression of staining
fibers. In the present study, dual-labeling immunohistochemistry was used to show that CART-IR cell bodies do
not contain any GnRH and SP. CART-positive fibers were identified in close apposition with GnRH neurons.
This suggests that CART may influence GnRH secretion. Double staining revealed that CART-IR structures do
not co-express any of the substances we studied, but a very small population of CART-IR fibers also contain
SOM, CCK or SP. (Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica 2011; Vol. 49, No. 4, pp. 604–614)
Keywords: cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcriptgonadotropin releasing hormonesomatostatinneuropeptide Ycholecystokininsubstance Ppreoptic areapig
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