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D W Pfaff

Publications and source records attributed to D W Pfaff.

At least 415 records · Page 23Linked to original sources
PubMed1976

Autoradiographic localization of hormone-concentrating cells in the brain of the female rhesus monkey.

With autoradiographic procedures, cells which bind 3H-estradiol were found in preoptic, hypothalamic and limbic structures in the brains of ovariectomized, adult female rhesus monkeys. Estrogen-binding cells were seen in the medial preoptic area, medial anterior hypothalamus, ventromedial nucleus, and especially heavy labelling was seen throughout the extent of the arcuate (infundibular) nucleus of the hypothalamus. In limbic structures, cells in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and in the medial nucleus of the amygdala were well labelled. Systematic charting also revealed smaller numbers of estrogen-concentrating cells in other specific hypothalamic and limbic locations. In the anterior pituitary, significant numbers of basophils and acidophils were found to bind estrogen. Pars intermedia and the posterior lobe were virtually unlabelled. In the uterus, heavily labelled cells were seen in the endometrial stroma and in the myometrium. These autoradiographic findings agree with results of parallel biochemical experiments. In monkeys injected with 3H-corticosterone, the most extensive high-intensity binding found with autoradiography was in the hippocampus. Both pyramidal neurons and dentate gyrus granule cells were labelled. Biochemical experiments, also, showed highest cell nuclear accumulation of corticosterone in the hippocampus. Findings with estradiol in the rhesus monkey extend to primates conclusions based on autoradiographic experiments with steroid sex hormones in wide variety of vertebrates, including fish, amphibians, birds, and various mammalian species (Morell st al., '75a). All of these vertebrate forms have sex hormone-concentrating neurons, which are found in specific preoptic, hypothalamic and limbic structures. In the species studied, such hormone-concentrating neurons appear to be involved in the hormonal control of behavioral and pituitary function.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Efferents from medial basal forebrain and hypothalamus in the rat. I. An autoradiographic study of the medial preoptic area.

Efferent projections from the medial and periventricular preoptic area, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and nuclei of the diagonal band were traced using tritiated amino acid autoradiography in albino rats. Medial and periventricular preoptic area efferents were not restricted to short-axon projections. Ascending projections from the medial preoptic area (mPOA) were traced through the diagonal band into the septum. Descending mPOA axons coursed in the medial parts of the medial forebrain bundle. Projections to most hypothalamic nuclei, including the arcuate nucleus and median eminence, were observed. In the midbrain, mPOA efferents were distributed in the central grey, raphe nuclei, ventral tegmental area and reticular formation. Projections from the mPOA were also observed to the amygdala through the stria terminalis, to the lateral habenula through the stria medullaris, and to the periventricular thalamus. Axons of the most medial and periventricular preoptic area (pvPOA) neurons had a distribution similar to more lateral mPOA neurons but their longest-axoned projections were weaker. The pvPOA did not send axons through the stria medullaris but did project more heavily than the more lateral mPOA to the arcuate nucleus and median eminence. Projections from the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (nST) were in most respects similar to those from the medial preoptic area, with the major addition of a projection to the accessory olfactory bulb. The nuclei of the diagonal band of Broca (nDBB) gave a different pattern of projections than mPOA or nST, projecting, for instance, to the medial septum and hippocampus. Descending nDBB efferents ran in the ventral portion of the medial forebrain bundle. Among hypothalamic cell groups, only the medial mammillary nuclei received nDBB projections. nDBB efferents also distributed in the medial and lateral habenular nuclei and the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Efferents from medial basal forebrain and hypothalamus in the rat. II. An autoradiographic study of the anterior hypothalamus.

Using tritiated amino acid autoradiography, the efferent projections of the anterior hypothalamic area (AHA) were studied in albino rats. Axons from AHA neurons were not confined to local projections in the hypothalamus. Ascending AHA axons ran through the preoptic region, joined the diagonal band and distributed in the lateral septum. Descending AHA efferents within the hypothalamus coursed in a bundle ventromedial to the fornix. Projections were observed to the dorsomedial, ventromedial, arcuate and dorsal premammillary nuclei, and to the median eminence. Sweeping dorsomedially in the posterior hypothalamus, some AHA axons distributed in the central grey. AHA axons staying ventral projected to the supramammillary region, ventral tegmental area, raphe nuclei and midbrain reticular formation. Other AHA efferents distributed to the periventricular thalamus, to the medial amygdala via the stria terminalis or supraoptic commissure, and to the lateral habenula through the stria medullaris. For comparison with the AHA, efferent projections from the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and from the ventromedial nucleus and adjacent basal hypothalamus (VMR) were studied. Projections from PVN neurons were not restricted to the median eminence and neurohypophysis. PVN efferents also distributed to many of the same regions as did those of the AHA but had somewhat different fiber trajectories and longer descending projections. VMR efferents were more widespread than those of the AHA, with projections extending into the lateral zona incerta and pontine reticular formation. Projections from the AHA were distinct from those of the medial preoptic area (mPOA). For example, while AHA axons descended in a bundle ventromedial to the fornix, mPOA axons ran in the medial forebrain bundle. Such anatomical differences may underlie experimentally demonstrated functional differences between the mPOA and AHA, for instance, in mediation of male and female sex behaviors.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Brain stem and cerebellar lesions in female rats. I. Tests of posture and movement.

Lesions were placed in a number of brain stem and cerebellar structures to determine their importance to the control of posture and movement in rats. Lesions of the lateral vestibular nucleus, superior vestibular nucleus, or inferior olive produced severe disturbances of posture and movement. Rats with such lesions had pronounced tremor, abnormal head posture and asymmetrical trunk posture, and failed in a balance beam test. Lesions of the medial medullary reticular formation and medial vestibular nucleus had less overall effect on posture and movement, while animals with lesions of the deep cerebellar nuclei were relatively unimpaired. All lesion groups showed some recovery of function during the course of postoperative testing.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Brain stem and cerebellar lesions in female rats. II. Lordosis reflex.

The effects of brain stem and cerebellar lesions upon the lordosis reflex were studied. Lesions of the lateral vestibular nucleus (LVN) and nucleus reticularis gigantocellularis (NGc) produced significant deficits in lordosis. Lesions of the deep cerebellar nuclei, inferior olive, medial vestibular nucleus, and superior vestibular nucleus did not produce significant effects. Results from animals with lesions of both lateral vestibular nucleus (LVN) and nucleus gigantocellularis (NGc) suggested that these structures act independently in their control of lordosis. Histological analysis showed that giant cell loss in NGc and Deiters' cell loss in LVN were both significantly correlated with decrements in lordosis. These results indicate that lateral vestibulospinal and reticulospinal pathways participate in the descending control of segmental mechanisms responsible for the lordosis reflex.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Hormone concentrating cells in vocal control and other areas of the brain of the zebra finch ( Poephila guttata).

Using the autoradiographic method in the zebra finch (poephila guttata), areas of the brain were identified which contain cells which accumulate testosterone. Among these areas are the caudal nucleus of the hyperstriatum ventrale, nucleus intercollicularis of the midbrain, and the tracheosyringeal portion of the hypoglossal nucleus of the medulla (nXIIts). These three are known to control or influence androgen dependent song and other vocalizations of passeriform birds, and nXIIts is composed of the motoneurons innervating the vocal (syringeal) muscles. Other areas containing hormone-concentrating cells are the medial preoptic area, nucleus periventricularis magnocellularis of the hypothalamus, dorsal infundibular layers, dorsomedial thalamus, lateral septum, magnocellular nucleus of the anterior neostriatum, periventricular medial neostriatum, nucleus taeniae of the archistriatum, and ventral paleostriatum augmentatum. Accumulation by cells in the preoptic area, hypothalamus, and limbic forebrain is consistent with a general vertebrate pattern of distribution of brain cells which accumulate sex steroids. Some of these same areas may be involved in the control of androgen dependent events such as courtship, copulation, aggression, and feedback regulation of the hypophysis.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Single unit recording in hypothalamus and preoptic area of estrogen-treated and untreated ovariectomized female rats.

Single unit activity was recorded with micropipettes in the medial hypothalamus and preoptic area of urethane-anesthetized ovariectomized female rats. Some females had received long-term estradiol treatment, while others had been left untreated. In the medial preoptic region and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, estrogen-treated rats had fewer cells (compared to untreated rats) with recordable spontaneous activity, due primarily to a loss of cells with very slow firing rates. In the basomedial hypothalamus, estrogen-treated rats had more cells (than untreated rats) with recordable spontaneous activity, due primarily to an increase in the number of cells with slow firing rates. Responsiveness of neurons to somatosensory stimulation was generally low. If present it was depressed by estrogen treatment in medial preoptic area and bed nucleus of stria terminalis, while it tended to be elevated by estrogen treatment in medial anterior hypothalamus and basomedial hypothalamus. Differences in the effects of long-term systemic estrogen treatment on medial preoptic neurons compared to basomedial hypothalamus are paralledled by differences in the control of lordosis by these neurons in female rats.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Lordosis in the male golden hamster elicited by manual stimulation: characteristics and hormonal sensitivity.

The lordosis response was regularly elicited from 24 of 31 intact, adult male hamsters, using manual somatosensory stimulation of the dorsal rear body. In these males there was no correlation between measures of male-typical behavior and lordosis. Castration had no effect on male lordosis duration scores even when intromissions were eliminated. Combined treatment with estradiol benzoate and progesterone significantly increased male lordosis duration scores. The body surface was mapped with a standardized brush stimulus. For eliciting lordosis, effectiveness of stimulation increased in an almost identical manner for hormone-primed males and females from the anterior to the posterior part of the body, with the stimulation of flanks, rump, and perineum the most effective. Within each skin zone, absolute effectiveness was greater in females than in males. Various types of somato-sensory stimulation were compared for their effectiveness in eliciting lordosis. Females were more responsive to these stimuli than males, even when males were hormonally primed. These behavioral data have implications for concepts of the neural organization of male- and female-typical mating responses existing within the same individual.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Autoradiographic localization of estradiol-concentrating cells in the female hamster brain.

Autoradiographic methods were used to study the location of estrogen-concentrating cells in the brain of the female hamster. In the hypothalamus, well-labelled cells were reliably found in the posterior medial preoptic area (MPOA), the anterior hypothalamus (AHA), and the ventromedial (VM), arcuate (ARC) and ventral premammillary nuclei (VPM). In the limbic system, well-labelled cells were found in the ventro-lateral septum, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and the medial and cortical nuclei of the amygdala. Labelled cells, in small numbers, were also detected in the mesencephalic central gray (CG), lateral hypothalamus, subiculum and entorhinal cortex. The neuroanatomical pattern of estrogen-concentrating cells in the hamster supports the concept of a generalized vertebrate pattern. Furthermore, a comparison of hamster and rat patterns of cellular 3H-estradiol (3H-E2) concentration appears to suggest that species differences in their responsiveness to estrogen may be paralleled by differences in estrogen binding.

Amygdala↗
PubMed1975

Axonal projections of medial preoptic and anterior hypothalamic neurons.

Projections from medial preoptic area (mPOA) and medial anterior hypothalamic area (mAHA) neurons were investigated in albino rats with the use of tritiated amino acid autoradiography. Both the mPOA and the mAHA gave long-axon projections to structures in limbic forebrain and midbrain as well as short-axon projections to other hypothalamic regions. Differences between mPOA and mAHA neurons were observed in projections to the mid-septal region, ventromedial hypothalamus, premammillary region, and central gray. Further, while axons from the mPOA traveled within the medial forebrain bundle, those from the mAHA remained in a band ventromedial to the fornix. These anatomical differences may underlie functional differences between the mPOA and mAHA which have been demonstrated with other experimental techniques.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Autoradiographic localization of hormone-concentrating cells in the brain of an amphibian, Xenopus laevis. I. Testosterone.

Autoradiographic methods were used to investigate locations of hormone concentrating cells in the CNS of Xenopus laevis. Both male and female frog brains contained cells. Four major hormone uptake sites were identified: the anterior preoptic area, the ventral infundibular nucleus, a dorsal tegmental area of the medulla and a presumptive motor nucleus of cranial nerves IX-X. The distribution of labelled cells was very similar for male and female brains. Available information on these testosterone uptake sites in anurans indicates possible roles in gonadotropin regulation and reproductive behavior.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Autoradiographic localization of hormone-concentrating cells in the brain of an amphibian, Xenopus laevis. II. Estradiol.

Autoradiographic techniques for light microscopic examination of sex steroid retention were applied to the brains of male and female Xenopus laevis, and anuran amphibian, after 3H-estradiol administration. Estrogen was concentrated by cells in three telencephalic areas (the ventral striatum, the ventral-lateral septum and the amygdala), the anterior preoptic area, the ventral thalamus, the ventral infundibular nucleus, and in the torus semicircularis. The anterior preoptic area and the ventral infundibular nucleus contained the greatest number of labelled cells. The topography of estrogen-concentrating cells was the same in male and female brains. This fact and comparisons of 3H-estradiol with 3H-testosterone retention in Xenopus suggest that the sex steroid itself, and not the genetic sex of Xenopus determines the pattern of uptake by cells in the brain. The distribution of hormone-concentrating cells in Xenopus has many similarities to that found in birds and mammals. Preoptic, hypothalamic (tuberal), limbic forebrain and specific mesencephalic sites in all these forms contain labelled cells following radioactive sex steroid administration. Findings in Xenopus add to the argument for a phylogenetically stable system of hormone-concentrating nerve cells in limbic, hypothalamic and mesencephalic structures.

Animals↗