Immunocytochemical study of the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system. III. Localization of oxytocin- and vasopressin-containing neurons in the pig hypothalamus.

Synthetic oxytocin and [8-arginine]-vasopressin conjugated to bovine thyroglobulin were used to induce specific antibodies in rabbits. The specificity of the anti-oxytocin serum, and the suitability of the anti-[8-arginine]-vasopressin serum for the detection of [8-lysine]-vasopressin, was evaluated by immunofluorescent studies of the respective hormones bound to Sepharose 4B particles. Oxytocin and [8-lysine]-vasopressin were specifically localized in the paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic (SON) nuclei of the pig hypothalamus using the immunoperoxidase staining technique. After an examination of serial transverse and sagittal sections stained for either of the hormones we observed that: 1. In the rostral SON, oxytocin and vasopressin containing neurons were uniformly distributed; 2. In the caudal SON, most of the neurons contained oxytocin, but there were still a few 'vasopressin' neurons; 3. In the rostral PVN, the two hormones were evenly spread in neurons close to the third ventricle; 4. In the caudal PVN, the oxytocin and vasopressin containing neurons were differentially distributed, with 'oxytocin' neurons adjacent to the third ventricle, and 'vasopressin' neurons lateral to these and concentrated in the dorso-caudal PVN. In the cells of the PVN, there was evidence that the distribution of oxytocin and vasopressin is similar to the distribution of porcine neurophysin-II and porcine neurophysin-I respectively. This similarity is consistent with the one hormone--one neurophysin concept in the pig.