Korean J Anat.  1997 Jun;30(3):259-268.

The Effects of Gonadectomy and Prenatal Testosterone Injection on Galanin Immunoreactive Cells in the Medial Preoptic Area of Rats

• Park IS
• Kim JT

Abstract

Within the medial preoptic area[MPOA], several cytoarchitectonically defined cell groups are sexually dimorphic in their morphology. Specially, the sexual dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area[SDN-POA] is reported an example of a morphological sex difference in the rat hypothalamus which is influenced by gonadal steroid hormones. Thus, we detemined the distribution of Galanin-immunoreactive[Gal-I] cells and fibers within MPOA and their morphological response to gonadal steroids which is influenced by gonadectomy or prenatal restosterone treatments were observed. The Gal-I cells were appeared within the medial preoptic area. In the males, the volume and number of Gal-I nerve cell bodies were greater than that of females. But the female which treated prenatal testosterone injection had many Gal-I neurons than infact female. And the males that decreased the volume of gonadal hormone by gonadectomy were decreased the volume and number of Gal-I neurons than that of normal males. These results suggest that galaninergic cells within the medial preoptic area are influenced by gonadal steroid hormone[testosterone] in the regulation of sexually dimorphic function.

Keyword

Testosterone; Galanin; Sexual dimorphic nucleus Medial Preoptic Area; Gonadectomy; Immunocytochemistry

MeSH Terms

Animals
Female
Galanin*
Gonadal Steroid Hormones
Gonads
Humans
Hypothalamus
Immunohistochemistry
Male
Neurons
Preoptic Area*
Rats*
Sex Characteristics
Steroids
Testosterone*
Galanin
Gonadal Steroid Hormones
Steroids
Testosterone