Comparative immunohistochemical study of the distribution of neuropeptide Y, growth hormone-releasing factor and the carboxyterminus of precursor protein GHRF in the human hypothalamic infundibular area.

It is now well documented that various polyclonal antisera to the human growth hormone-releasing factor (hGHRF, somatocrinin) visualize in the brain by immunohistochemistry the classical hypothalamic hypophysiotropic neurons and also antigens present in otherwise characterized peptidergic neuronal systems. The nature of these antigens is still an open question. One of these hGHRF antisera, raised against an immunogen of hGHRF1-44NH2, labels in the arcuate nucleus of the human mediobasal hypothalamus the neuropeptide Y (NPY) containing neurons which for the most part constitute a tuberoextrainfundibular system. The identity of the hGHRF-like substance present in these neurons with true somatocrinin has been assessed by performing a comparative immunohistochemical study including sequential double and triple labeling using the antiserum to hGHRF1-44NH2 in conjunction with antisera to the carboxyterminus of preprosomatocrinin (CTPG) and to NPY. This made it feasible to dissociate the hGHRF1-44NH2-immunoreactive neurons into two major subpopulations costaining either for CTPG of NPY, and a minor neuronal group displaying simultaneously the three labelings. A subset of arcuate neurons also showed NPY staining only. These results suggest that (1) the hGHRF-like antigen present in the majority of the NPY neurons is not true somatocrinin, or alternatively that preprosomatocrinin undergoes a unique maturational processing in these neurons, and (2) a subset of tuberoinfundibular somatocrininergic neurons produces and releases NPY which may be involved in the multifactorial control of the pituitary function.