DOPAMINE SYNTHESIZING ENZYMES IN PARAVENTRICULAR HYPOTHALAMIC NEURONSOF THE HUMAN AND MONKEY (MACACA-FUSCATA)

Using immunohistochemistry, we demonstrated that paraventricular hypot halamic neurons immunoreactive for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) were not immunopositive for the second step catecholamine synthesizing enzyme L -amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) in the human and monkey Macaca fuscat a. In the latter species, they were not immunoreactive for dopamine. I t is most likely that primate paraventricular TH-containing neurons do not synthesize dopamine. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.