Changes in the distribution of non-neuronal elements in rat median eminence and in anterior pituitary hormone secretion after activation of tuberoinfundibular dopamine neurones by brain stimulation or nicotine.

In order to investigate the posssibility of acute functional changes in non-neuronal elements (mainly tanycytes) of the median eminence, the proportion of portal capillary surface covered by such elements was measured by quantitative electron microscopy in ovariectomized, oestrogen-progesterone-pretreated rats. In some of these animals, the functional state of the tuberoinfundibular dopamine (DA) neurones was assessed by histochemical microfluorimetry. Serum concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH), growth hormone (GH) and prolactin were determined by radioimmunoassay. Two different types of treatment, i.e. systemic administration of nicotine (1 mg/kg, s.c.) or electrical stimulation in the medial amygdaloid nucleus, markedly reduced the percentage of capillary surface covered by non-neuronal profiles within 20 and 15 min, respectively. At the same time, the tuberoinfundibular DA system responded by an increase in cellular fluorescence intensity, reflecting neuronal activation. Medial preoptic stimulation had basically the same effect but with more variability in the change in capillary coverage by tanycytes. The action of nicotine was prevented by pretreatment with the DA receptor blocking agent, pimozide (5 mg/kg), which indicates (1) that a dopaminergic mechanism was involved in the nicotine effect and (2) that the tanycyte response was elicited by DA released from nerve terminals acting at some receptor site. Nicotine also lowered serum levels of GH and prolactin. Pimozide antagonized only the effect on prolactin. While the reaction of DA neurones and capillary coverage by tanycytes were correlated with each other in individual rats, no statistically significant correlation was observed between tanycyte response and hormone levels, so that no conclusions can as yet be drawn as to the neuroendocrine significance of the tanycyte reaction. These results indicate that rapid changes in the proportion or portal capillary surface covered by non-neuronal profiles can be elicited by stimulation of extrahypothalamic brain areas or by activation of cholinergic mechanisms. The tanycyte response appears to be mediated at least in part by the tuberoinfundibular DA neurones.