Presence of glucocorticoid receptor immunoreactivity in corticotrophin releasing factor and in growth hormone releasing factor immunoreactive neurons of the rat di- and telencephalon.

By means of the indirect immunoperoxidase technique using two-color immunocytochemistry a moderate to strong nuclear glucocorticoid receptor (GR) immunoreactivity was demonstrated in the vast majority of the corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF)-immunoreactive nerve cells of the parvocellular parts of the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, of the septohypothalamic nucleus, of the bed nucleus striae terminalis and of the central and medial amygdaloid nuclei. All the growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF)-immunoreactive nerve cells of the lateral magnocellular part of the arcuate nucleus in its entire rostrocaudal extent showed a moderate GR immunoreactivity. These results and others indicate that glucocorticoids may directly affect all the CRF and GRF cell populations projecting into the median eminence as well as CRF and GRF neurons controlling behavioral and autonomic functions.