Progesterone receptor and dopamine synthesizing enzymes in hypothalamic neurons of the guinea pig: an immunohistochemical triple-label analysis

Interactions among gonadal steroid hormones and the dopamine synthesizing enzymes, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) or aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC), participate in hypothalamic functions. Several findings suggest that the expression patterns of the progesterone receptor (PR), TH and AADC over...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of chemical neuroanatomy 2005, Vol.29 (1), p.13-20
Main Authors: Lemoine, Sabine, Leroy, Danièle, Warembourg, Maryvonne
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Arcuate nucleus
Aromatic- l-amino acid decarboxylase
Aromatic-L-Amino-Acid Decarboxylases - analysis
Dopamine - metabolism
Female
Guinea Pigs
Hypothalamus - chemistry
Hypothalamus - enzymology
Immunofluorescence
Immunohistochemistry
Neurons - chemistry
Neurons - enzymology
Preoptic area
Receptors, Progesterone - analysis
Steroid receptors
Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase - analysis
Tyrosine hydroxylase
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Summary:Interactions among gonadal steroid hormones and the dopamine synthesizing enzymes, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) or aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC), participate in hypothalamic functions. Several findings suggest that the expression patterns of the progesterone receptor (PR), TH and AADC overlap in the guinea pig brain. However, it remained to be determined whether or not these two enzymes coexist in the same neurons which contain the PR. To test this hypothesis and quantify these colocalization relationships in the hypothalamus, we used a triple-labeling immunofluorescence procedure. Only PR/AADC-immunoreactive cells were seen in the preoptic area but no PR/TH cells and, therefore, no triple immunoreactive cells were found. An occasional colocalization between PR and the two enzymes was observed throughout the rostrocaudal extent of the arcuate nucleus with the greatest concentration of triple-labeled cells in the medial subdivision. In this region, quantitative estimation of cellular immunoreactivity showed that the triple immunoreactive cells represented about 29% of PR/TH cells, 9% of PR/AADC cells and 22% of TH/AADC cells in spite of a very low percentage in relation to total populations of neurons expressing only PR, TH or AADC. Thus, the PR are only present in monoenzymatic AADC expressing neurons in the preoptic area while they can be observed in neurons expressing both enzymes in the arcuate nucleus.
ISSN:0891-0618
1873-6300
DOI:10.1016/j.jchemneu.2004.08.008