Biochemical specificity in central pathways related to peripheral and intracerebral homeostatic functions.

Immunohistochemical and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) studies suggest that oxytocin-stained fibers from the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVH) innervate the locus coeruleus (LC) and dorsal vagal complex (DVC) in the brainstem of the rat, and that adrenergic fibers from the LC and DVC in turn project to the PVH. It is hypothesized that these pathways are directly involved in the integration of neuroendocrine and autonomic responses in the periphery, as well as in the mediation of homeostasis-preserving responses within the CNS itself.