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Intra- and extrahypothalamic vasopressin and oxytocin pathways in the rat

Pathways to the limbic system, medulla oblongata and spinal cord

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Summary

Vasopressin and oxytocin pathways were specifically localized in glutaraldehyde-paraformaldehyde fixed rat brains, with the use of the unlabelled antibody enzyme method and purification of the first antiserum. Vasopressin and oxytocin containing pathways were traced from the paraventricular nucleus towards the dorsal and ventral hippocampus, the nuclei of the amygdala, substantia nigra and substantia grisea, nucleus tractus solitarius, nucleus ambiguus and to the substantia gelatinosa of the spinal cord. In addition, a vasopressin containing pathway between the suprachiasmatic nucleus and the lateral habenular nucleus was demonstrated. The possible nature (axons or dendrites) and role of these extrahypothalamic fibres is discussed in relation to water balance, milk ejection and avoidance behaviour.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Netherlands Institute for Brain Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    R. M. Buijs

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  1. R. M. Buijs
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This work was supported in part by the Foundation for Medical Research Fungo

The author wishes to thank Dr. L.A. Sternberger for his generous gift of the peroxidase-antiperoxidase complex, Miss J. van der Velden and Mr. P.S. Wolters for their assistance and the members of the project group “Neuroendocrinology” for their suggestions and critical remarks

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Buijs, R.M. Intra- and extrahypothalamic vasopressin and oxytocin pathways in the rat. Cell Tissue Res. 192, 423–435 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00212323

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