The sexually dimorphic nucleus of the hypothalamus contains GABA neurons in rat and man
- 2 December 1996
- journal article
- Published by Elsevier BV in Brain Research
- Vol. 742 (1-2), 163-171
- https://doi.org/10.1016/s0006-8993(96)01005-0
Abstract
The sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area (SDN-POA) is the most striking structure displaying a morphological sex difference in the rat brain. A potentially homologous nucleus has been identified in the human hypothalamus. The objective of the present study was to pursue the putative homology of the rat and human SDN-POA by determining whether they express the same transmitter phenotype. We employed in situ hybridization histochemistry for GAD mRNA to show whether the neurons of the SDN-POA produce GABA. In both the rat and human, high levels of GAD65 and GAD67 mRNA are present in most, if not all, SDN-POA neurons. No sex difference is evident in the level of expression in either the rat or human. The data indicate that neurons of the SDN-POA in both the rat and human are GABA-producing and argue for the homology of these nuclei in the rat and human hypothalamus.Keywords
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