COMPARATIVE IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL DISTRIBUTION OF AMYLIN-LIKE AND CALCITONIN-GENE-RELATED PEPTIDE-LIKE IMMUNOREACTIVITY IN THE RAT CENTRAL-NERVOUS-SYSTEM

Using the indirect immunofluorescence method with a polyclonal antiser um raised in rabbits and directed against amylin (AMY), we have invest igated the distribution of AMY-like immunoreactivity (-ir) throughout the central nervous system of the rat. The widespread distribution of AMY-ir was much more abundant than that previously reported for calcit onin gene related peptide (CGRP) immunoreactivity. In most brain areas there was no overlap between AMY- and CGRP-ir cell body groupings, wi th the exception of the motor nuclei of the hindbrain and spinal cord, which were found to contain large numbers of AMY- and CGRP-immunoreac tive cell bodies. Areas with a moderate to dense appearance of AMY-ir were the rhinencephalon, the nucleus of the diagonal band, the magnoce llular, dorso- and ventro-medial and mammillary nuclei of the hypothal amus, the habenula, the compact part of the substantia nigra, the rube r and pontine nuclei, and the inferior olive and the cerebellar nuclei . The widespread immunohistochemical distribution of AMY-ir in the rat brain is in partial agreement with the distribution of AMY-binding si tes.