Summary
A strong positive immunoreaction with an α-endorphin antiserum occurs in two distinct sites of the goldfish and carp neurohypophysis. Fluorescent nerve terminals are found in the laminar nerve processes located in the rostral pars distalis, but the immunocytological reaction is mainly localised on the nerve processes of the posterior neurohypophysis lying between the intermediate lobe cells. Almost all the digitations of the neurohypophysis are strongly fluorescent. The immunoreactive fibres probably originate from the hypothalamus, where perikarya displaying the same immunoreaction have been found in the pars lateralis of the nucleus lateralis tuberis and in some minor centres. The possibility that the immunoreactive substances revealed on the neurohypophyseal processes may originate in the intermediate lobe cells is also discussed. It has now to be established if this hypothalamo-hypophyseal system contains a substance with endorphic properties or only some immunologically related substance devoid of the corresponding physiological activities.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Båge, G., Ekengren, B., Fernholm, B., Fridberg, G.: The pituitary gland of the roach Leuciscus rutilus. III The pars intermedia and its innervation. Acta zool. (Stockh.) 56, 43–60 (1975)
Ball, J.N., Baker, B.I.: The pituitary gland: Anatomy and histophysiology. In: Fish physiology (Hoar, M.S., and Randall, D.J., eds.), Vol. II, pp. 1–110. New York: Academic Press 1969
Billenstein, D.C.: Neurosecretory material from the nucleus lateralis tuberis in the hypophysis of the eastern brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis. Z. Zellforsch. 59, 507–512 (1963)
Dierickx, K., Vandesande, F.: Immuno-enzyme cytochemical demonstration of mesotocinergic nerve fibres in the pars intermedia of the amphibian hypophysis. Cell Tiss. Res. 174, 25–33 (1976)
Ekengren, B.: The aminergic innervation of the pituitary gland in the roach Leuciscus rutilus. Cell Tiss. Res. 158, 169–175 (1975)
Follénius, E.: Innervation adrénergique de la méta-adénohypophyse de l'Epinoche (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.). Mise en évidence par autoradiographie au microscope électronique. C.R. Acad. Sci. (Paris) 267 D, 1208–1211 (1968)
Follénius, E.: Intégration de la dopamine dans les terminaisons aminergiques de la métaadénohypophyse de l'Epinoche (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.) C.R. Acad. Sci. (Paris) 273, 1039–1040 (1971)
Follénius, E., Dubois, M.P.: Localisation immunocytologique de peptides analogues à l'α-endorphine dans certains neurones du noyau latéral du tuber de Carassius auratus L. et Cyprinus carpio L. C.R. Acad. Sci. (Paris) 285D, 1065–1068 (1977)
Follénius, E., Dubois, M.P.: Immunocytological detection and localization of a peptide reacting with an α-endorphin antiserum in the corticotropic and melanotropic cells of the trout (Salmo irideus Gibb.) pituitary. Cell Tiss. Res. 188, 273–283 (1978)
Fremberg, M., Meurling, P.: Catecholamine fluorescence in the pituitary of the eel Anguilla anguilla with special reference to its variation during background adaptation. Cell Tiss. Res. 157, 53–72 (1975)
Fremberg, M., Veen, van Th., Hartwig, H.G.: Formaldehyde-induced fluorescence in the telencephalon and diencephalon of the eel (Anguilla anguilla L.) A fluorescence-microscopic and microspectrofluorometric investigation with special reference to the innervation of the pituitary. Cell Tiss. Res. 176, 1–22 (1977)
Goossens, N., Dierickx, K., Vandesande, F.: Immunocytochemical localization of vasotocin and isotocin in the preopticohypophysial neurosecretory system of teleosts. Gen. comp. Endocr. 32, 371–375 (1977)
Goos, H.J.Th., Murathanoglu, O.: Localisation of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GRH) in the forebrain and neurohypophysis of the trout (Salmo gairdneri) Cell Tiss. Res. 181, 163–168 (1977)
Guillemin, R., Ling, N., Burgus, R.: Endorphines, peptides, d'origine hypothalamique et neurohypophysaire à activité morphinomimétique. Isolement et structure moléculaire de l'α-endorphine. C.R. Acad. Sci. (Paris) 282 D, 783–785 (1976)
Iturriza, F.C.: Monoamines in the neuro-intermediate lobe of the pituitary of the Argentinian eel. Naturwissenschaften 54, 565 (1967)
Leatherland, J.: Histophysiology and innervation of the pituitary gland of the goldfish, Carassius auratus L.: a light and electron microscope investigation. Canad. J. Zool. 50, 835–844 (1972)
Mains, R.E., Eipper, B.A., Ling, N.: Common precursor to corticotropins and endorphins. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 74, 3014–3018 (1977)
Perks, A.M.: The neurohypophysis. In: Fish Physiology (Hoar, W.S., and Randall, D.J., eds.), Vol. II, pp. 111–205. New York: Academic Press 1969
Queen, G., Pinsky, C., LaBella, F.: Subcellular localization of endorphine activity in bovine pituitary and brain. Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun. 72, 1021–1027 (1976)
Ross, M., Dingledine, R., Cox, B.M., Goldstein, A.: Distribution of endorphins (peptides with morphine-like pharmacological activity) in pituitary. Brain Res. 124, 523–532 (1977)
Sathyanesan, A.G.: Hypothalamic neurosecretory system in the normal and partly or completely hypophysectomized goldfish. Amer. J. Anat. 118, 1–10 (1966)
Schreibman, M.P., Leatherland, J.F., McKeown, B.A.: Functional morphology of the teleost pituitary gland. Amer. Zool. 13, 719–742 (1973)
Simantov, R., Snyder, S.H.: Opiate receptor binding in the pituitary gland. Brain Res. 124, 178–184 (1977)
Swanson, D.D., Nishioka, R.S., Bern, H.A.: Aminergic innervation of the cranial and caudal neurosecretory systems in the teleost Gillichthys mirabilis. Acta zool. (Stockh.) 56, 225–237 (1975)
Vandesande, F., Mey, De J., Dierickx, K.: Identification of neurophysin producing cells. I. The origin of the neurophysin-like substance containing nerve fibres of the external region of the median eminence of the rat. Cell Tiss. Res. 151, 187–200 (1974)
Vandesande, F., Dierickx, K.: Identification of the vasopressin producing and of the oxytocin producing neurones in the hypothalamic magnocellular neurosecretory system of the rat. Cell Tiss. Res. 164, 153–162 (1975)
Zambrano, D., Nishioka, R.S., Bern, H.A.: The innervation of the pituitary gland of teleost fishes. In: Brain-endocrine interaction. Median eminence: Structure and function. (Knigge, K.M., Scott, D.E., Weindl, A. eds.), pp. 50–66. Basel: Karger 1972
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Follénius, E., Dubois, M.P. Distribution of fibres reacting with an α-endorphin antiserum in the neurohypophysis of Carassius auratus and Cyprinus carpio . Cell Tissue Res. 189, 251–256 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00209274
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00209274