Perinatal development of galanin-like immunoreactivity in chromaffin tissues of the rabbit.

We have analyzed the perinatal development of galanin-like immunoreactivity (GAL-LI) and catecholamines (CA) in the paraaortal paraganglia (PGGL) and adrenal glands. In the PGGL, the tissue content of GAL-LI was highest on the day of birth and decreased postnatally. The fetal levels were lower than at birth. In contrast, the content of CA in the PGGL increased with age. In the adrenal glands, the contents of both GAL-LI and CA also increased with age. During the first postnatal week the contents of both GAL-LI and CA in the PGGL were markedly higher than in the adrenal glands. Chromatographic analysis of GAL-LI in extracts of fetal and postnatal rabbit PGGL, respectively, indicated that most of the GAL-LI from both age groups co-eluted with synthetic porcine GAL. An additional, apparently more polar, component was also detected at both ages, which may represent a differently processed form of the peptide. The high content of GAL-LI in the PGGL at birth may reflect an enhanced synthesis associated with birth.