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Neurosecretion in the external and internal zone of the median eminence of the cat and dog

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Summary

The immunoglobulin-enzyme bridge technique, in association with rabbit antiporcine neurophysin-II has been applied to the median eminence of the dog and cat in order to study the distribution of neurophysin-like antigens throughout this area of the brain and correlate the findings with the corresponding distribution of neurosecretory material (NSM) as revealed by the crotonaldehyde fuchsin stain.

Neurophysin and NSM were both present in the hypothalamo-supraoptico-neurohypophysial system—the pathway taken by oxytocin, vasopressin and neurophysin from the hypothalamus to the posterior pituitary lobe.

Whereas the tuberoinfundibular tract of the median eminence was almost devoid of NSM, the presence of neurophysin-like material was clearly evident using immunoperoxidase histochemistry. The significance of a protein in the external median eminence possessing determinants cross-reactive against anti-neurophysin serum is discussed.

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  1. Postgraduate School of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    W. B. Watkins

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This work was financed by a grant from the Medical Research Council of New Zealand.

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Watkins, W.B. Neurosecretion in the external and internal zone of the median eminence of the cat and dog. Cell Tissue Res. 155, 201–210 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00221354

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