Teruyama R, Beck M M
Department of Animal Science, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0908, USA.
Cell Tissue Res. 2001 Mar;303(3):403-14. doi: 10.1007/s004410000313.
Reproduction in Japanese quail is primarily regulated by photoperiod. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) has been suggested as a transducer of environmental information, especially photoperiodic cues, to the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis. To investigate the possible interaction of VIP and the reproductive (gonadotropin-releasing hormone, GnRH) system, double-immunocytochemical staining for VIP and cGnRH-I was conducted in sexually mature male quail held under a long-day photoperiod (16L:8D; LD) and in sexually quiescent males held under a short-day photoperiod (8L:16D; SD). VIP-immunoreactive (ir) cells were found primarily in three locations: lateral septal organ (LSO) in nucleus accumbens (Ac), ventral hypothalamus, and infundibular area. VIP-ir cells in LSO displayed characteristics typical of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-contacting cells, and co-existed with cGnRH-I-ir cells and beaded fibers. In contrast, VIP-ir cells in the infundibular area did not co-exist with cGnRH-I-ir structures. The number of visible VIP-ir cells in the infundibular area of SD males was significantly lower than that of LD males, while the number of visible VIP-ir cells in Ac/LSO was not altered by photoperiod. A cluster of cGnRH-I-ir cells in the caudalmost septal area was heavily innervated by VIP-ir fibers, which appeared to contact cGnRH-I-ir cells directly at this location. Both VIP- and cGnRH-I-ir fibers heavily innervated the external layer of the median eminence (ME). These data suggest that Ac/LSO, the caudalmost septal area, and ME are possible sites of interaction between the VIP and the GnRH systems.
日本鹌鹑的繁殖主要受光周期调节。血管活性肠肽（VIP）被认为是环境信息，尤其是光周期信号向下丘脑-垂体-性腺轴传递的转导器。为了研究VIP与生殖（促性腺激素释放激素，GnRH）系统之间可能的相互作用，对处于长日照光周期（16小时光照：8小时黑暗；LD）下的性成熟雄性鹌鹑和处于短日照光周期（8小时光照：16小时黑暗；SD）下的性静止雄性鹌鹑进行了VIP和cGnRH-I的双重免疫细胞化学染色。VIP免疫反应性（ir）细胞主要分布在三个部位：伏隔核（Ac）的外侧隔器官（LSO）、下丘脑腹侧和漏斗区。LSO中的VIP-ir细胞表现出典型的脑脊液（CSF）接触细胞特征，并与cGnRH-I-ir细胞和串珠状纤维共存。相比之下，漏斗区的VIP-ir细胞不与cGnRH-I-ir结构共存。SD雄性鹌鹑漏斗区可见的VIP-ir细胞数量明显低于LD雄性鹌鹑，而Ac/LSO中可见的VIP-ir细胞数量不受光周期影响。尾端隔区的一簇cGnRH-I-ir细胞被VIP-ir纤维大量支配，这些纤维似乎在此位置直接接触cGnRH-I-ir细胞。VIP和cGnRH-I-ir纤维都大量支配了正中隆起（ME）的外层。这些数据表明，Ac/LSO、尾端隔区和ME可能是VIP与GnRH系统相互作用的部位。
