THE expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in rat adrenocorticotropin (ACTH)-containing neurons in rat brain was immunohistochemically investigated. ACTH-containing cell bodies were found mainly in the arcuate nucleus. Most of these neurons exhibited GR immunoreactivities in their nuclei. ACTH-containing nerve fibers were distributed in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis
periventricular nucleus
retrochiasmatic nucleus
parvocellular part of paraventricular nucleus and dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus. After adrenalectomy there as a marked decrease of ACTH immunoreactivity
as well as GR immunoreactivity
in neurons of the arcuate nucleus
but ACTH immunoreactivity in the fibers was not affected. These results indicate that glucocorticoids up-regulate ACTH and GR production in hypothalamic arcuate neurons
but that glucocorticoid-induced changes could be delayed in the fibers derived from these neurons. NeuroReport 10:1571-1575 (C) 1999 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
