Centre for Neuroendocrinology, Department of Physiology, University of Otago School of Medical Sciences, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
Endocrinology. 2011 Jun;152(6):2387-99. doi: 10.1210/en.2011-0164. Epub 2011 Apr 12.
The important role of kisspeptin neurons in the regulation of GnRH neuron activity is now well accepted. However, the ways in which kisspeptin neurons located in the arcuate nucleus (ARN) and rostral periventricular area of the third ventricle (RP3V) control GnRH neurons are poorly understood. The present study used anterograde and retrograde tracing techniques to establish the neuronal projection patterns of kisspeptin cell populations in the female mouse brain. Anterograde tracing studies revealed that kisspeptin neurons in the ARN innervated a wide number of hypothalamic and associated limbic region nuclei, whereas RP3V kisspeptin neurons projected to a smaller number of mostly medially located hypothalamic nuclei. Retrograde tracing confirmed a major projection of RP3V kisspeptin neurons to the ARN and showed that kisspeptin neurons located in the rostral half of the ARN projected to the rostral preoptic area. Peripheral administration of Fluorogold was found to label the majority of GnRH neurons but no kisspeptin neurons. Together, these studies highlight the complexity of the brain kisspeptin neuronal system and indicate that both ARN and RP3V kisspeptin neurons participate in a variety of limbic functions. In relation to the GnRH neuronal network, these investigations demonstrate that, alongside the RP3V kisspeptin cells, rostral ARN kisspeptin neurons may also project to GnRH neuron cell bodies. However, no kisspeptin neurons innervate GnRH nerve terminals in the external layer of the median eminence. These studies provide a neuroanatomical framework for the further elucidation of the functions of the ARN and RP3V kisspeptin neuron populations.
kisspeptin 神经元在 GnRH 神经元活动调节中的重要作用现在已被广泛接受。然而，位于弓状核（ARC）和第三脑室前脑室区（RP3V）的 kisspeptin 神经元控制 GnRH 神经元的方式仍知之甚少。本研究使用顺行和逆行示踪技术，建立了雌性小鼠大脑中 kisspeptin 细胞群体的神经元投射模式。顺行示踪研究表明，ARC 中的 kisspeptin 神经元支配着大量下丘脑和相关边缘区域核，而 RP3V kisspeptin 神经元投射到数量较少的主要位于内侧的下丘脑核。逆行追踪证实了 RP3V kisspeptin 神经元对 ARC 的主要投射，并表明位于 ARC 前半部分的 kisspeptin 神经元投射到视前区。外周给予 Fluorogold 被发现标记了大多数 GnRH 神经元，但没有 kisspeptin 神经元。总之，这些研究强调了大脑 kisspeptin 神经元系统的复杂性，并表明 ARC 和 RP3V kisspeptin 神经元都参与了各种边缘功能。就 GnRH 神经元网络而言，这些研究表明，除了 RP3V kisspeptin 细胞外，ARC 吻端 kisspeptin 神经元也可能投射到 GnRH 神经元胞体。然而，没有 kisspeptin 神经元支配中脑正中隆起外皮层的 GnRH 神经末梢。这些研究为进一步阐明 ARC 和 RP3V kisspeptin 神经元群体的功能提供了神经解剖学框架。
