Ho. Delaiglesia et al., THE SUPRACHIASMATIC AREA IN THE FEMALE HAMSTER PROJECTS TO NEURONS CONTAINING ESTROGEN-RECEPTORS AND GNRH, NeuroReport, 6(13), 1995, pp. 1715-1722
THIS Study investigated whether the circadian regulation of luteinizin
g hormone (LH) release may be through direct input of the suprachiasma
tic nucleus (SCN) to estrogen receptor (ER)- and/or gonadotropin relea
sing hormone (GnRH)-immunoreactive neurons. We used Phaseolus vulgaris
leucoagglutinin (PHA-L) as an anterograde tracer of SCN efferents and
performed double label immunocytochemistry for PHA-L and ER or GnRH.
Between 8 and 30% of ER cells and 11-13% of the GnRH cells showed appo
sitions with SCN efferents. Efferent projections of the subparaventric
ular hypothalamic nucleus and the retrochiasmatic area, relay stations
of the circadian system, also made appositions with these two cell ty
pes. Results suggest that the circadian system could regulate the timi
ng of the LH surge via two pathways, through input to GnRH and to ER c
ells.