LOCALIZATION OF ANDROGEN RECEPTOR WITHIN PEPTIDERGIC NEURONS OF THE RAT FOREBRAIN

This study tested for the presence of androgen receptor-immunoreactivi ty in somatostatin, galanin, vasopressin, corticotropin-releasing horm one, and oxytocin neurons in the rat forebrain. The brains of adult ma le Sprague-Dawley rats were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde. Androgen r eceptor was visualized in coronal sections using nickel intensificatio n of diaminobenzidine, and the neuropeptides were identified using a b rown diaminobenzidine reaction product. Androgen receptor was localize d to the nuclei of neurons in the septum, amygdala, cortex, hippocampu s, and hypothalamus. The majority of somatostatin-containing neurons i n the periventricular hypothalamic nucleus also contained androgen rec eptor. Androgen receptor was also found within galanin-expressing cell s in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and in the amygdala. Andr ogen receptor was not observed in corticotropin-releasing hormone, vas opressin, or oxytocin neurons in all areas examined. The data suggest that androgens may be capable of directly regulating somatostatin-expr essing neurons of the periventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and galanin-containing neurons of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and amygdala.