RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LEU-ENKEPHALIN-LIKE IMMUNOREACTIVE NEURONS OF THE HYPOTHALAMUS AND ITS ADJACENT AREA AND THE POSTERIOR PITUITARY IN THE RAT / 解剖学报

ABSTRACT

Leu-enkphalin-like(L-ENK-L)neurons of the hypothalamus and its adjacentarea of the rat were stained immunohistochemically.It has been found that besidesthe area previously reported in the literature L-ENK-L neurons are also present inSFO and the ependyma of the third ventricle.By combining WGA-HRP retrogradetracing and immunohistochemical method,L-ENK-L neurons in supraoptic nucleus,paraventricular nucleus,periventricular area and anterior fornical nucleus were foundto project to the posterior pituitary,in which some neurons squeeze in between theependymal cells.The subependymal neurons may serve as a link between the ven-tricle and the posterior pituitary.