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Neuronal membrane remodelling during the oestrus cycle: a freeze-fracture study in the arcuate nucleus of the rat hypothalamus

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Journal of Neurocytology

Summary

Freeze-fracture methodology was used to study the organization of the neuronal plasma membrane in the rat arcuate nucleus, an oestrogen sensitive area of the hypothalamus. The quantitative evaluation of freeze-fracture replicas of the perikarya, dendritic shafts and dendritic spines revealed that the numerical density of intramembranous particles varied during the ovarian cycle. The number of small (< 10 nm) particles was decreased, and the number of large (> 10 nm) particles was increased, in the P-face of the perikaryal plasma membranes in prooestrus and oestrus when compared to dioestrus. This change was associated with a significant increase in the number of exo-endocytotic images in the perikaryal plasma membrane in prooestrus. Changes in intramembranous particles during the ovarian cycle were not detected in arcuate nucleus dendritic shafts and dendritic spines.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Cajal, C.S.I.C., Velazquez 144, 28006, Madrid, Spain

    L. M. Garcia-Segura, P. Hernandez, G. Olmos & P. A. Tranque

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yale University Medical School, 06510, New Haven, CT, USA

    F. Naftolin

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  1. L. M. Garcia-Segura
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  2. P. Hernandez
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  3. G. Olmos
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  4. P. A. Tranque
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  5. F. Naftolin
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Garcia-Segura, L.M., Hernandez, P., Olmos, G. et al. Neuronal membrane remodelling during the oestrus cycle: a freeze-fracture study in the arcuate nucleus of the rat hypothalamus. J Neurocytol 17, 377–383 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01187859

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01187859

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