Oxytocin nerve fibers innervate beta-endorphin neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the rat hypothalamus.

Fine, varicose oxytocin-containing nerve fibers have been demonstrated in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus in rats. Using Phaseolus vulgaris leukoagglutinin as an anterograde tracer, fine neuronal fibers of paraventricular nucleus origin could be seen throughout the arcuate nucleus. Using double immunostaining, oxytocin-immunoreactive varicose fibers were observed around or in the close vicinity of beta-endorphin-immunoreactive neurons. Silver-gold-labeled oxytocin-immunoreactive presynaptic boutons were shown to make synaptic contacts with diaminobenzidine-labeled beta-endorphin-immunoreactive neurons by electron microscopy. These findings provide morphological evidence for a possible influence of oxytocin on the activity of the brain beta-endorphin system at the hypothalamic level.