DISTRIBUTION OF NEUROMEDIN U-LIKE IMMUNOREACTIVITY IN THE CENTRAL-NERVOUS-SYSTEM OF RANA-ESCULENTA

The distribution of perikarya and nerve fibers containing neuromedin U -like immunoreactivity in the brain of Rana esculenta was determined w ith an antiserum directed toward the carboxyl terminus of the peptide. In the telencephalon, immunoreactive perikarya were found in the olfa ctory bulb, the medial sept um, and the diagonal band. In the dienceph alon, labeled perikarya were detected in the anterior and posterior pr eoptic areas, the dorsal nucleus of the hypothalamus, the caudal pare of the infundibulum, and the posterior tuberculum. In the mesencephalo n, immunoreactive cell bodies were found only in the laminar nucleus o f the torus semicircularis and the anterodorsal tegmental nucleus. In the rhombencephalon, labeled perikarya were detected in the secondary visceral nucleus, the cerebellar nucleus, the central gray, and the nu cleus of the solitary tract. Immunoreactive nerve fibers were observed in all areas of the brain that contained labeled perikarya. The dense st accumulations were found in the nucleus accumbens; the dorsal part of the lateral septum; the periventricular region of the ventral thala mus; the lateral part of the infundibulum; the anterodorsal, anteroven tral, posterodorsal, and posteroventral tegmental nuclei; and the peri aqueductal region of the tegmentum. The distribution of neuromedin U-l ike immunoreactivity in the frog brain was substantially different fro m the distribution described for the rodent brain. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss , Inc.