TY - JOUR
T1 - Tyrosine hydroxylase activity in peripherally denervated rat pineal gland
AU - Hernández, Guadalberto
AU - Bello, Aixa R.
AU - López-Coviella, Ignacio
AU - Abreu, Pedro
AU - Fajardo, Natalia
AU - Reiter, Russel J.
AU - Hernández, Alexis
AU - Alonso, Rafael
N1 - Funding Information:
Supported by grants from DGICYT PM 88-0206 and PM 92-0160. NF held a predoctoral fellowship from DGICYT. ILC is a fellow from the Spanish 'Plan de Reincorporaci6n de Doctores y Tecn61ogos' (RE90 42003972).
PY - 1994/8/15
Y1 - 1994/8/15
N2 - The presence of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the rat pineal gland was studied using a combination of immunochemical and biochemical methods. In superior cervical ganglionectomized (SCGx) animals and in isolated pineals incubated for 72 h, both TH immunoreactive (TH-IR) fibers and TH biochemical activity were still present but reduced. Conversely, in dispersed pinealocytes incubated for only 24 h we were unable to detect either TH activity or TH-positive cells. Since in the pineal gland of intact rats total 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy phenylglycol (MHPG) was undetectable, and only traces of norepinephrine (NE) were present in the pineal of ganglionectomized animals, the results suggest a central pinealopetal catecholaminergic pathway which could use dopamine as a neurotransmitter.
AB - The presence of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the rat pineal gland was studied using a combination of immunochemical and biochemical methods. In superior cervical ganglionectomized (SCGx) animals and in isolated pineals incubated for 72 h, both TH immunoreactive (TH-IR) fibers and TH biochemical activity were still present but reduced. Conversely, in dispersed pinealocytes incubated for only 24 h we were unable to detect either TH activity or TH-positive cells. Since in the pineal gland of intact rats total 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy phenylglycol (MHPG) was undetectable, and only traces of norepinephrine (NE) were present in the pineal of ganglionectomized animals, the results suggest a central pinealopetal catecholaminergic pathway which could use dopamine as a neurotransmitter.
KW - Catecholamine
KW - Pineal gland
KW - Superior cervical ganglia
KW - Tyrosine hydroxylase
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U2 - 10.1016/0304-3940(94)90062-0
DO - 10.1016/0304-3940(94)90062-0
M3 - Article
C2 - 7824164
AN - SCOPUS:0027937439
SN - 0304-3940
VL - 177
SP - 131
EP - 134
JO - Neuroscience Letters
JF - Neuroscience Letters
IS - 1-2
ER -