Jp. Herman et al., INVOLVEMENT OF THE BED NUCLEUS OF THE STRIA TERMINALIS IN TONIC REGULATION OF PARAVENTRICULAR HYPOTHALAMIC CRH AND AVP MESSENGER-RNA EXPRESSION, Journal of neuroendocrinology, 6(4), 1994, pp. 433-442
The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) occupies a central posi
tion in pathways regulating hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA)
stress regulation. The potential role of the BNST in tonic neural con
trol of HPA function was assessed by examining effects of selective BN
ST lesions on expression of ACTH secretagogues in HPA-integrative neur
ons of the medial parvocellular paraventricular nucleus. Anterior BNST
lesions (ABN) involved major portions of the anteromedial, anterolate
ral, ventromedial, ventrolateral, dorsolateral and juxtacapsular subnu
clei. These lesions resulted in significant (30%) decreases in cortico
tropin-releasing hormone (CRH) mRNA expression across the rostrocaudal
extent of the medial parvocellular PVN, with no accompanying changes
in basal arginine vasopressin (AVP) mRNA levels. Posterior BNST (PBN)
lesions involved large but subtotal damage to the posterior intermedia
te, posterior medial, posterior lateral and preoptic subnuclei; these
lesions resulted in small but significant changes in CRH mRNA and slig
ht increases in number of AVP mRNA-producing parvocellular neurons. PB
N effects on CRH mRNA expression were most pronounced at the caudal ex
tent of the medial parvocellular zone, suggesting a topographic input
from the posterior BNST to the PVN that is only partially compromised
by PBN lesions. Analysis of individual cases revealed a correlation be
tween damage of the anterolateral BNST and decreased CRH mRNA levels,
and damage of the posterior intermediate and/or posterior medial BNST
and increased CRH mRNA levels. The results suggest differential BNST i
nput into HPA regulation, perhaps reflecting the diversity of limbic i
nput into the BNST region.