Summary
Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) neurons were immunohistochemically studied in rats of both sexes at peripubertal ages. The number of immunoreactive LHRH neurons (irLHRH neurons) was counted in the brain region from the level of the septumpreoptic area to the level of the rostral part of the infundibulum in colchicine-treated male and female rats at 30 and 60 days of age. At 30 days, irLHRH neurons were more numerous in male rats than females. At 60 days, the number of irLHRH neurons in female rats increased to the level of male rats of the same age. In non-colchicine-treated rats, the count of irLHRH neuron was quite low. The difference in the number of irLHRH neurons between colchicine-treated and non-treated rats may be regarded as the activity of LHRH system. The difference in the number of irLHRH neurons was larger in male rats than in female rats at 30 days of age. On the contrary, at 60 days of age, the difference was larger in females than in males. LHRH contents were measured in the preoptic-anterior hypothalamic area (POA-AH), where LHRH neuronal perikarya are mainly located, and in the mid-hypothalamic area. LHRH content of the POA-AH in male rats at 60 days of age was not significantly different from that at 30 days of age. While, LHRH content in the POA-AH was greater in 60-day-old female rats at proestrous morning than that in 30-day-old females. At 30 days of age, male rats tended to contain more LHRH in the POA-AH than female rats. However, either at 30 days or at 60 days, no statistically significant differences were detected between male and female rats. In mid-hypothalamic area, LHRH content in 60-day-old male rats was greater than that in 30-day-old male rats. On the other hand, there was no difference in LHRH content between 30-day-old and 60-day-old female rats. At 60 days of age, LHRH content in male rats was greater than that in female rats. The present morphological findings and LHRH measurements suggest that the functional maturation of LHRH system occurred earlier in male rats than in female rats.
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Takahashi, S., Ono, R., Nomura, K. et al. Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) neurons in the male and female rats at peripubertal period. Anat Embryol 178, 475–480 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00305034
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00305034