RESUMO
The distributions and morphological characteristics of neurons displaying immunoreactivity to the catecholamine synthetic enzymes, tyrosine hydroxylase[TH], dopamine-beta-hydroxylase[DBH], and phenyletha-nolamine-N-methyltransferase[PNMT] were examined in the adjacent sections of the diencephalon of the striped field mouse [Apodemus agrarius coreae].Only TH-, and no DBH- or PNMT-immunoreactive neurons were found in the diencephalon. In the preoptic area, TH-immunoreactive neurons were found in the anterior preoptic nucleus of Loo[APN], periventricular preoptic nucleus, medial preoptic nucleus, lateral preoptic nucleus and suprachiasmatic nucleus. In the hypothalamus, TH-immunoreactive neurons were found in theparaventricular hypothalamic nucleus, periventricular gray, retrochiasmatic area,anterior hypothalamic nucleus of anterior hypothalamic area and retrochiasmatic region of the hypothalamus. In the rostral tuberal region of the hypothalamus, TH-immunoreactive neurons were found in the paraventricular nucleus, periventricular gray and arcuate nucleus. In the midtuberal region of the hypothalamus, TH-immunoreactive neurons were found in the paraventricular nucleus, dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus, zona incerta and arcuate nucleus. In the caudal tuberal region of the hypothalamus, dorsal hypothalamic nucleus, posterior hypothalamic complex and arcuate nucleus.