Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P01178 (oxytocin)
 15,767 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In this paper we describe the modification of the galanin (GAL)-like immunostaining in the hypothalamus of rats, which were made hypothyroid at 52 days after birth. On 21st day after the surgical ablation of the thyroid gland, the staining of the GAL-immunoreactive fibers in the median eminence decreased and on the 84th day disappeared almost totally. The GAL-immunoreactive distribution in other areas of the hypothalamus, e.g. the anterior hypothalamus and the dorsomedial nucleus, is only slightly affected by the absence of thyroid hormones, whereas the GAL-staining of medulla oblongata (vagal complex) is equal in both control and hypothyroid rats. In hypothyroid colchicine-treated rats, we were unable to stain GAL-immunoreactive neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Oxytocin- and vasopressin-like material was present in the magnocellular neurons and the staining pattern in hypothyroid rats was the same as that of control animals. Our data show a marked reduction in the expression of the GAL-like immunoreactivity of the PVN and median eminence of adult hypothyroid rats. The possible role of this deficit in the pathogenesis of the GH secretion impairment that is observed in hypothyroid rats is discussed.
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PMID:Deficit of galanin-like immunostaining in the median eminence of adult hypothyroid rats. 138 Jan 34

The hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal tract is known to contain the classical neurohypophyseal hormones vasopressin and oxytocin. Additionally, dynorphin, methionine- and leucine-enkephalin, cholecystokinin (CCK), corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), and galanin are co-stored with vasopressin and/or oxytocin. Recent immunohistochemical studies have revealed the existence of a low to moderate number of substance P-, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-, neuropeptide Y (NPY)- and somatostatin-immunoreactive nerve fibers within the rat neurohypophysis. VIP-, substance P- and NPY-immunoreactive fibers were distributed throughout the organ, whereas somatostatin-immunoreactive fibers were present in the proximal part of the organ. The positive nerve endings were either large in size resembling classical nerve terminals related to perivascular spaces, or smaller similar to peptidergic fibers as described in the CNS. These results indicate that these neuropeptides may be either co-stored with the classical neurohypophyseal hormones or contained in another system of afferents to the organ. The probably distinct functional roles of these neuropeptides in the physiology of the neurohypophysis are discussed.
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PMID:Non-vasopressinergic, non-oxytocinergic neuropeptides in the rat hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal tract: experimental immunohistochemical studies. 138 83

The topographical distribution of neuropeptide-containing cell bodies, fibers and terminals was studied in human parabrachial nuclei and the pontine tegmentum with immunohistochemical stainings. Brains of seven adult human subjects of 35-72 years were fixed within 2 h post mortem. Serial sections were immunostained by antisera of 14 different neuropeptides--oxytocin, vasopressin, thyrotropin-releasing hormone, angiotensin II, calcitonin gene-related peptide, beta-endorphin, dynorphin A, dynorphin B, leucine-enkephalin, alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone, substance P, neuropeptide Y, cholecystokinin and galanin--alternately. All of these peptides were found to be present in nerve fibers and terminals, but only two, angiotensin II and dynorphin B, in cell bodies of the parabrachial nuclei. Calcitonin gene-related peptide-, neuropeptide Y-, cholecystokinin- and galanin-immunoreactive cells were present in other areas of the pontine tegmentum, like the motor trigeminal nucleus, locus coeruleus, periventricular gray matter but not in the parabrachial nuclei. Peptidergic fibers were distributed unevenly throughout the pontine tegmentum having unique, individual distribution patterns. In the parabrachial nuclei, substance P, neuropeptide Y, cholecystokinin and galanin showed the highest density of immunoreactive neuronal networks. Moderate to low concentrations of immunoreactive processes were detected by calcitonin gene-related peptide, alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone, dynorphin B, thyrotropin releasing hormone, leucine-enkephalin, dynorphin A, angiotensin II, beta-endorphin, vasopressin and oxytocin antisera, respectively. Other pontine tegmental areas, like the locus coeruleus, dorsal tegmental, pontine raphe and motor trigeminal nuclei as well as the central gray of the tegmental region exhibited a varying assortment of neuropeptides with distinct, individual localization patterns. Their detailed topographical distributions are mapped and given in coronal sections.
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PMID:Immunohistochemical study on the distribution of neuropeptides within the pontine tegmentum--particularly the parabrachial nuclei and the locus coeruleus of the human brain. 154 21

In situ hybridization histochemistry and indirect immunofluorescence histochemistry were used to study changes in the expression of vasopressin (VP), oxytocin (OXY), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), galanin (GAL), dynorphin (DYN) and cholecystokinin (CCK) in hypothalamic magnocellular neurons of the paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic (SON) nuclei of rats. After prolonged administration of 2% sodium chloride as drinking water (salt-loading), the treatment increased the levels of VP, OXY, TH, GAL, DYN and CCK mRNA in the PVN and SON. The increase in CCK mRNA was, however, proportionally higher in the PVN than in the SON. Within cell bodies of the PVN and SON of salt-loaded rats, a depletion of VP- and OXY-like immunoreactivity (LI) and an increase in TH-LI were seen. In salt-loaded/colchicine-treated rats, a marked decrease in GAL- and DYN-LI, but no specific changes in CCK-LI were observed. Within nerve fibers of the posterior pituitary of salt-loaded rats, a marked depletion of VP-, GAL- and DYN-LI was found. Less pronounced depletion was observed in OXY- and CCK-LI, and no specific changes in TH-LI were seen. The results show that high plasma osmolality induces increased mRNA levels for VP, OXY, TH, GAL, DYN and CCK, presumably indicating increased synthesis, an increased export from cell somata of VP, OXY, GAL and DYN, and a decrease in levels of these peptides in the posterior pituitary, suggesting increased release. The catecholamine-synthesizing enzyme TH, however, which has a cytoplasmic localization and is not released from nerve endings, remains high in the cell bodies and nerve endings during this state of increased activity.
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PMID:Peptides and transmitter enzymes in hypothalamic magnocellular neurons after administration of hyperosmotic stimuli: comparison between messenger RNA and peptide/protein levels. 169 5

High concentrations of immunoreactive galanin-like material in rat hypothalamus, median eminence and neurohypophysis have been reported in the literature suggesting a regulatory role of galanin on hormone release from the anterior and posterior lobe of the pituitary. We studied binding of iodinated galanin to crude membrane preparations from porcine anterior hypothalamus, anterior and neurointermediate lobe of the hypophysis. In contrast to the hypothalamus where specific binding of 125I-galanin was found, there was no displaceable galanin binding in membranes of the anterior or neurointermediate lobe of porcine pituitaries. Effects of galanin on oxytocin and vasopressin release were investigated using isolated neurosecretory endings from rat neurohypophyses. Galanin had no detectable effect on the release of oxytocin or vasopressin.
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PMID:Galanin lacks binding sites in the porcine pituitary and has no detectable effect on oxytocin and vasopressin release from rat neurosecretory endings. 169 5

Galanin (GA) is a recently described neuropeptide that has been demonstrated to be widely distributed in the hypothalamus of experimental animals. So far there is no immunohistochemical description of GA in the human hypothalamus and, in particular, no studies of the colocalization of this neuropeptide with other transmitter candidates in the human hypothalamus. We have now investigated this question immunohistochemically by using human brains fixed by vascular perfusion within 24 hours of death. Nerve cell bodies and fibers stained for GA were observed throughout the hypothalamus. Major populations of GA-ir cell bodies were found in the suprachiasmatic, intermediate, supraoptic, paraventricular, arcuate, tuberomammillary, and supramammillary nuclei. Scattered positive neurons were found in the periventricular preoptic area, the posterior hypothalamic nucleus, the lateral hypothalamic area, and zona incerta. A few positive cells were located in the dorsomedial and ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei. The number of GA-ir neurons estimated from three brains was 11,100 +/- 2,400 for the intermediate nucleus, 57,800 +/- 9,100 for the supraoptic nucleus and 47,400 +/- 13,900 for the paraventricular nucleus. GA-ir fibers were widely distributed in the hypothalamus. They were more dense in the periventricular and medial hypothalamic zones, whereas the lateral tuberal nuclei and the dorsolateral part of the supraoptic nucleus contained sparse positive fibers. The mammillary complex contained almost no GA-ir fibers. In the ventromedial tuberal region, GA-ir axons formed bundles travelling down in the infundibular stem. In the median eminence the vascular plexus was wrapped by GA-ir fiber networks. The coexistence of GA with arginine vasopressin (AVP), oxytocin (OXY), and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) was examined in the supraoptic, paraventricular, and suprachiasmatic nuclei in adjacent paraffin sections. Neurons containing both GA and AVP were very common in the supraoptic nucleus and also occurred in the paraventricular and suprachiasmatic nuclei. The supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei also contained some neurons immunoreactive for both GA and OXY. Neurons positive for GA and TH were rare. The topographic distribution of GA-ir neuronal structures in the hypothalamus and the colocalization of GA, principally with AVP and to a lesser extent with OXY, in some hypothalamic nuclei constitute anatomical evidence that this neuropeptide may be involved in the regulation of endocrine, autonomic, and behavioural homeostatic responses.
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PMID:Galanin immunoreactive neurons in the human hypothalamus: colocalization with vasopressin-containing neurons. 169 34

Hypothalamic magnocellular neurons of the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei contain several peptides and non-peptide putative neurotransmitters co-existing with vasopressin and oxytocin. However, the functional role of these substances is still unknown. In the present paper the temporal course of changes in the expression of vasopressin, oxytocin, galanin, cholecystokinin, dynorphin and tyrosine hydroxylase in magnocellular hypothalamic neurons of rats subjected to hypophysectomy was examined. Following different survival times the animals were processed either for immunohistochemistry with antibodies against the above mentioned peptides or for in situ hybridization with synthetic oligonucleotide probes complementary to the mRNAs encoding for the peptides. The results obtained showed a marked rise in vasopressin mRNA levels at two days followed by a decrease up to 36 days of survival. Oxytocin mRNA responded to the lesion with a transient decrease, with its lowest values between five and seven days. This was followed by a recovery which almost reached normal values at 36 days of survival. The results also showed a marked, transient activation of the synthetic pathway for galanin and cholecystokinin. The numbers of cells expressing these peptides were maximal between five and seven days, and the respective mRNA levels were significantly increased at these survival times. This was followed by a decrease in the amount of galanin- and cholecystokinin-like immunoreactivity as well as in the levels of their respective mRNAs. Dynorphin-like immunoreactivity showed a course similar to that of galanin and cholecystokinin in operated animals. However, the amounts of dynorphin mRNA were significantly increased at two days, but were followed by a reduction at five days and remained low throughout the different survival times tested. The experiments performed with the tyrosine hydroxylase antibodies and probe showed undetectable levels of the enzyme and its mRNA in normal and hypophysectomized animals. These results demonstrate that, in magnocellular hypothalamic neurons, expression of several peptides occur in differential ways after hypophysectomy. The possibility is discussed that these changes represent part of the mechanisms underlying the process of degeneration and regeneration known to occur in magnocellular hypothalamic neurons after hypophysectomy.
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PMID:Neuropeptide gene expression in hypothalamic magnocellular neurons of normal and hypophysectomized rats: a combined immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization study. 169 57

Indirect immunofluorescence histochemistry was used to investigate the distribution and extent of co-localization of chemical messengers in magnocellular neurons of the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei. In order to increase the number of neurons immunoreactive to the antisera used, experimental manipulations were employed. The homozygous Brattleboro (diabetes insipidus) rat was also investigated. In untreated rats, only vasopressin- and oxytocin-like immunoreactivities could be observed. Colchicine treatment alone resulted in appearance of galanin-, dynorphin-, cholecystokinin-, [Leu]enkephalin- and thyrotropin-releasing hormone-positive cells. In hypophysectomized rats, all these markers, except tyrosine hydroxylase, showed substantial further increases. In addition, peptide histidine-isoleucine-immunoreactive cell bodies could now be seen. After salt-loading alone, tyrosine hydroxylase-like immunoreactivity was markedly increased, whereas vasopressin- and oxytocin-like immunoreactivity were very weak or undetectable. When salt-loaded rats received colchicine, corticotropin-releasing factor- and peptide histidine-isoleucine-like immunoreactivity in addition increased, whereas galanin- and dynorphin-like immunoreactivity markedly decreased. The Brattleboro rats resembled untreated rats, except their lack of vasopressin-like immunoreactivity, the marked increase in tyrosine hydroxylase-like immunoreactivity, and smaller increase in galanin- and dynorphin-like immunoreactivity. Addition of colchicine to Brattleboro rats resulted in some distinct further changes in that dynorphin-like immunoreactivity decreased in some neurons and that [Leu]enkephalin-, corticotropin-releasing factor- and peptide histidine-isoleucine-like immunoreactivity increased substantially. Several similarities could be observed between the salt-loaded and Brattleboro rats, with or without colchicine. However, a marked difference in immunoreactive [Leu]enkephalin levels was observed with no difference in dynorphin-like immunoreactivity, and opposite changes in galanin-like immunoreactivity. The results confirm the traditional view that hypothalamic magnocellular neurons in the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei contain two separate cell populations, characterized by vasopressin and oxytocin, respectively, and that they contain additional messenger molecules in specific patterns. Vasopressin-containing neurons primarily express tyrosine hydroxylase, galanin, dynorphin, [Leu]enkephalin and peptide histidine-isoleucine, and to a minor extent cholecystokinin and thyrotropin-releasing hormone. Oxytocin-containing neurons mainly have cholecystokinin and corticotropin-releasing factor, and to a minor extent galanin, dynorphin, [Leu]enkephalin and thyrotropin-releasing hormone. Furthermore, our results detail individual co-existence situations among these putative messenger molecules. Thus, magnocellular neurons respond in a differential way to various stimuli and they store multiple bioactive substances in specific combinations.
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PMID:Localization of chemical messengers in magnocellular neurons of the hypothalamic supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei: an immunohistochemical study using experimental manipulations. 170 Oct 38

The possible colocalization of oxytocin (OT) and galanin (GAL) was studied by combining, on the same cryostat sections, in situ hybridization (ISH) for OT mRNA with a tritiated oligonucleotide probe and immunohistochemistry (ICC) of GAL. Many cells were either labelled by ISH (OT mRNA containing cells), or by ICC (GAL containing cells). Moreover, some magnocellular neurons in the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei were labelled for both OT mRNA and GAL. These results demonstrate that some magnocellular neurons of the rat hypothalamus contain both GAL and OT. This approach is suitable for studying the intracellular distribution of OT gene expression and mature GAL under different physiological or experimental conditions.
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PMID:Evidence for a colocalization of oxytocin mRNA and galanin in magnocellular hypothalamic neurons: a study combining in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. 171 45

The presence of galanin-like substances and their relation to substance P-, vasotocin-, and isotocin-immunoreactive neurons and fibers in the brain of teleosts was investigated with immunohistochemical methods. Two specific antisera against synthetic porcine galanin (GAL) revealed cell bodies and fibers in the brain of four different teleost species (Salmo salar, Carassius carassius, Gasterosteus aculeatus, and Anguilla anguilla). In all four species the main location of galanin immunoreactivity was in the hypothalamo-pituitary region. A detailed study of the distribution of galanin immunoreactivity in S. salar showed that galanin immunoreactive (GALir) perikarya were present in the nucleus preopticus periventricularis, an area that may be compared to the supraoptic nucleus in mammals, and in the nucleus lateralis tuberis, a nucleus involved in pituitary control in fishes that may be compared with the arcuate nucleus in mammals. GALir perikarya were found also in the nucleus recessus lateralis and in the nucleus recessus posterior. Numerous GALir fibers were present in the telencephalon and diencephalon, whereas only small numbers of fibers were found in the brainstem. In contrast to the situation in mammals, no GALir perikarya were observed in the brainstem areas corresponding to the noradrenergic locus coeruleus and serotonergic raphe nuclei in S. salar. We did not find any coexistence of GALir substances with arginine vasotocin or isotocin in neurosecretory neurons, as has been shown for galanin with the mammalian counterparts vasopressin and oxytocin. Also, the galanin-like substance(s) and their structurally closest related peptide family, the tachykinins, belong to separate neuronal systems in teleosts. The presence of GALir neurons in brain areas known to be involved in pituitary control, and a massive GALir innervation of the pituitary, strongly indicate a role for galanin-like substances in pituitary control also in teleosts. Furthermore, the presence of extrahypothalamic GALir fibers suggests involvement of galanin-like substances in other brain functions in teleosts. In conclusion, there are general similarities between teleosts and mammals concerning the distribution of galanin-like substances. However, there seem to be substantial differences in their distribution relative to functionally related peptides within the hypothalamo-pituitary system. Whereas galanin appears to be colocalized and released together with vasopressin and oxytocin in mammals, in teleosts the homologous substances are contained within different sets of neurons that innervate the same target, the pituitary.
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PMID:Galanin-like immunoreactivity in the brain of teleosts: distribution and relation to substance P, vasotocin, and isotocin in the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). 171 23


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