An arcuato-paraventricular and -dorsomedial hypothalamic neuropeptide Y-containing system which lacks noradrenaline in the rat.

The origins of neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactive (NPYI) fibers in the paraventricular and dorsomedial hypothalamic nuclei of the rat were examined using immunohistochemistry. Destruction of the arcuate nucleus resulted in a marked decrease of NPYI fibers ipsilaterally in these nuclei, suggesting that most of NPYI fibers in these nuclei originate from NPYI neurons in the arcuate nucleus. These NPYI systems did not contain noradrenalin.