Summary
Several types of neurosecretory fibers were observed in the normal infundibulum of the frog. After transection of the median eminence, these neurosecretory fibers of the proximal stump reacted asynchronously, but followed approximately the same pattern: a “passive accumulation” of granules observed early after the transection was followed by an “active axonal reaction” with the appearance of numerous tubular formations which are thought to be related to the Golgi apparatus. They filled the axon almost completely, and then became dilated and filled with an electron dense material. Subsequently these dilatations pinched off and gave origin to new neurosecretory granules. These locally packed granules plus others which were probably formed in more proximal parts of the axon, and the perikaryon and then transported distally, accumulated in the proximal axonal stumps and started to fill the fibers retrogradely.
There was a parallelism between the increase of tubular formations and neurosecretory granules larger then 1,500 Å in diameter, on one side, and the vasopressor activity of the proximal stump, on the other. The latter increased at an approximate rate of 1 mU/stump/day.
The regeneration of the fibers of the hypothalamo-median eminence system is suggested by the presence in the proximal stump of fibers filled with granules smaller than 1,000 Å in diameter (normally seen in the median eminence) and the fact that 40% of the vasopressor activity of the extracts was not abolished by the thioglycollate treatment, which could be due to the presence of vasopressor amines other than adrenaline. The appearance towards the end of the observation period of a few “nerve endings” of several types contacting the perivascular basement membrane of vessels of the proximal stump would indicate that the neural lobe and median eminence functions were being reestablished, at least partially.
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This investigation was supported by grants 5RO1 NB 06641 NEUA and 5RO1 NB 07492 NEUA from the National Institute of Health and by the Space Sciences Research Center of the University of Missouri. The authors wish to thank Mrs. G. Clark, Mr. G. Ribas and Mr. R. Faup for their valuable technical help.
Fellow of the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de la República Argentina.
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Rodriguez, E.M., Dellmann, H.D. Ultrastructure and hormonal content of the proximal stump of the transected hypothalamo-hypophysial tract of the frog (Rana pipiens). Z. Zellforsch. 104, 449–470 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00335370
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00335370