AN IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL MAPPING OF ACTH CLIP IN THE CAT DIENCEPHALON/

Using an indirect immunoperoxidase technique, the location of cell bod ies and fibres containing adrenocorticotropin hormone/corticotropin-li ke intermediate lobe peptide (ACTH/CLIP) was studied in the cat dience phalon. Immunoreactivity was observed in several diencephalic nuclei o f the cat in which no immunoreactivity has been previously reported. i n this sense, a low density of immunoreactive cell bodies was found in the nucleus ventromedialis hypothalami; a high density of immunoreact ive fibres was found in the medial preoptic area; a moderate density i n the lateral preoptic area and in the nuclei centralis thalami (pars medialis), interventralis thalami, interanteromedialis thalami, parafa scicularis and praemamillaris (pars ventralis and pars dorsalis); a lo w density in the nuclei habenularis lateralis and reuniens thalami, an d single fibres were found in the nuclei lateralis thalami (pars anter ior), habenularis medialis, parataenialis, corpus geniculatum mediale, ventralis thalami (pars medialis) and in the fornix. Our results poin t to a more widespread distribution of ACTH/CLIP immunoreactive struct ures in the cat diencephalon in comparison with previous studies carri ed out in the same region of this feline.